GPA, GRE, Extra classes advice: Graduate Schools

Graduate School
1

Hello,
I graduated from undergraduate with a low cumulative GPA (2.45). I had repeated a few courses for higher grades (received A’s and A+ in all of the repeated courses) however, my college refused to calculate the repeated courses into my GPA and cumulative because they feel that the first week of the semester (upperclassmen are NOT allowed on campus at this time) is the only time you can fill out and submit the form stating the courses you are repeating or repeated (ironic huh?) So, my cumulative is not reflective of all of the courses on my transcript. I also had a professor die mid semester one year, and the fill in professor could not find her grade book, so he gave all of the students whatever grade he felt like. I had another professor refuse to grade ANY of my classwork, homework, projects, tests/exams because as she put it “she doesn’t like me.” Yes, she literally told me that, and my dean refused to step in and told me she wouldn’t do anything about it because it is up to the professor. My major GPA is a 2.9 not including 1 course because my college refuses to calculate it into my GPA.

Needless to say, my transcript is pretty messed up for a lot of crazy circumstances. To top it off a month before graduating, my grandmother died.

I spend 2.5 years unemployed post graduation, looking for work, promised a career, and it fell through because of my type of major.

Found simple jobs here and there, and now I have an internship in marketing.

I would love to receive my Master’s degree and continue forward, but I am aware of the general 3.0 barrier for most graduate schools.

My questions are:

  1. Should I try and take a few courses at a community college (I reside in Los Angeles) to raise my GPA. Will these even matter to graduate programs? Do most calculate these into your GPA?
  2. Should I try to apply to a certificate program instead (I am aware most do not have financial aid, so I will have to pay out of pocket) and then apply into a masters program later? I applied to the UCLA paralegal program and was denied.
  3. Should I take the GRE (my anxiety kicks in during tests) but if you have taken this exam, what books and/or resources did you use to prep yourself for this? Any test prep recommendations?
  4. Do you have any other suggestions?
  5. Have you or are you currently enrolled in any ONLINE master's programs/institutions? If so, your opinion? Is it worth is? Reputation? Ive been looking into getting my Master's online, but Ive seen so much backlash about online programs, its a bit confusing and overwhelming/ (What do I look for? type of institution certifications to make sure they have?)

I apologize for the long post and questions, but it would be great if I received advice!

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Also, should I look into international graduate programs? (advice please)

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Graduate school questions ought to go in the grad forum, there is even a subforum for questions about the GRE.

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Im a new member, andthis is my first post. Let me figure out how to navigate the site.

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Moved the thread.

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Yes, you should take some courses - the highest level relevant courses at the best college you can manage, with the express understanding that any grade less than a B actively hurts you and only A’s really help. Yes, they matter, but how much depends on what you take and where - a sophomore level course at a community college will matter a lot less than a grad-level course at UCLA. Yes, they will figure into your GPA, but how much they will matter varies a lot between programs.

Is there a certificate program that gets you to where you want to be? Certificate programs will be more forgiving than masters programs will be, but that doesn’t mean you still aren’t in a tight spot. The fact that your transcript says “2.45” is a going to be a problem ANYWHERE.

If you have plans on a masters program, then yes, take the GRE. I can’t offer advice on prep, as I didn’t really do any.

First, stop saying it’s not your fault. Whether it is or it isn’t, no one is going to admit (or hire) you off of a sob story, they want to hear you said “I did X, Y, and Z wrong, I’ve taken steps to repair the mistakes and will not do those again.”

Second, think about grad school as a long-term goal rather than an immediate one. There are three ways to rehabilitate your undergrad performance - more coursework, more time, and solid work/research experience (which depends on your field). Next year you are probably not going to be in a great position for applications, but in five years, with some serious effort, you certainly could be.

No. Overall reputation is less than brick-and-mortar, but some employers won’t care while others will strongly discount the degree. Still, it’s definitely better than nothing.

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  1. No, that's pointless. The better thing to do would be to take a few *graduate* courses in your field as a non-degree student to show that you can perform at the graduate level.
  2. Maybe, but probably no. If the certificate would be otherwise helpful/useful to your career, then perhaps, but there are other cheaper ways to prepare for a master's program. (FWIW, you would also probably have to pay out of pocket or with loans for a master's too).
  3. Most programs will require you to take the GRE, so yes. But you should wait until you are close to applying to take it - the results expire after 5 years. I used the PowerPrep software available free on the ETS website, plus Barron's and Kaplan's GRE prep books. I didn't really like Kaplan's, but Barron's was great and the PowerPREP is fantastic. Another suggestion is Princeton Review.
  4. Calculate your own GPA with the classes that you retook. Then, in a supplemental statement (or briefly in your gradaute statement), you can briefly explain that your retaken classes are not calculated in your official GPA because of logistical reasons, but that with the retaken classes you actually have a 3.1 GPA (or whatever it is). Some programs won't care but others may consider this information.

I also agree with @cosmicfish. Your original post has a lot of excuses in it about your grades and why your GPA is a 2.45. Honestly, some of them make me skeptical. They may have really happened, but it’s going to be a hard sell to convince a panel of professors that a professor didn’t grade your work at all because they “didn’t like you” and that your administration offered no recourse. Besides, even if you repeated a few (3-4) courses for higher grades and they weren’t calculated in, and 2 courses had low grades because of irregularities, that’s still only 5-6 courses and you still have a low GPA - that can’t be explained by just 15 credits out of a total of 120ish. Regardless, though, if you explain this in your statement you don’t want to come off as full of excuses; you want to come off as distant from your undergrad experience, someone who has grown a lot and is now capable of handling high-level graduate coursework. Taking a few grad classes (and getting As, nothing less) will help bolster that argument.

  1. No, but the utility of them depends entirely on the school and the program, as well as your field. I wouldn't ever get an online degree from one of the for-profit mills like Kaplan, Capella, Walden, et al. - they are less respected and seem to be more or less worthless in terms of helping you find a new job (although they may help some people get raises and promotions at jobs they already hold). Regular non-profit universities that have brick and mortar campuses often offer well-respected online programs, though, like Penn State's World Campus programs. (Also, the diploma and transcript don't say online - sometimes employers can figure it out, but sometimes they can't.) My opinion is that residential programs are usually better received, but online programs can be okay depending on the program and the field.

You should only look into international graduate programs if you have the money to pay for them and if you thik that they will help your career. It all depends. For example, in my field, an international PhD would only make sense from a small handful of schools.