<p>Afternoon,</p>
<p>I'm doing a second undergraduate degree (BS in Economics) as I want to do a MSc in econ, but was only eligible for an MA with my BA in Political Science.</p>
<p>I had a 3.1 GPA for my BA, but have got a 3.83 for my BS with only a handful of courses left. Because I did not graduate with honors or distinction with my first degree, no honors can be conferred on me unless I take a specific number of additional credits for the second.</p>
<p>Is it worth doing the 9 extra credits to be eligible for honors or would that simply be pedantic? Should a 3.8+ GPA and work experience in the field be enough for a top international program in economics? My top choice is the dual-degree from Sciences Po Paris and LSE.</p>
<p>Any advice or guidance would be appreciated immensely as I'm in the midst of sorting out my autumn schedule.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about it, especially if you are applying to grad school before you get the second bachelor’s degree. But even if you apply afterward, your academic performance speaks for itself. </p>
<p>Still, if those 9 credits would be spent doing an honor thesis or other independent research, then that would be a huge boost to your application.</p>
<p>I agree with everything Mom said! Also consider that GPA is pretty well universally understood, while criteria for honors can vary wildly from school to school - something no admissions committee wants to sift through. Honors will matter in the same way that school name matters - people in your specialty care about your advisors and teachers, people in your field care about your department, and only people outside your field care about your college name or the honors written on your diploma.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input!</p>
<p>Could be nice having a bit of a life this semester… :)</p>