<p>Hello everyone,</p>
<p>I heard a rumor that if you didn't do so hot in your undergrad GPA,that you can apply as non degree student or enroll in a grad certificate. I heard that if you did really well, like make A's, you can apply to the full program and have a better shot at getting admitted. is this all true or just a myth?</p>
<p>I cannot say that I know anyone personally who has gone that route, but I have always heard the same and it certainly seems reasonable… to a point. The first thing to remember is that a couple of A’s are not on their own going to significantly offset a lackluster undergrad career. The second thing to remember is that the gap between “good enough for degree status” and “good enough to take a few courses” can vary substantially between departments, and at the better schools can get pretty wide. My point is that this route, done right, is going to be pretty long, pretty involved, and should be taken with the aspiration of getting into A grad school, not necessarily the specific school where you take those extra classes. This is one of the things you do when you don’t really have any better options.</p>
<p>It’s not a myth, but it’s not universally true. It depends on a lot of factors. But yes, people with lower undergraduate GPAs find creative ways to get admitted to great graduate programs all the time.</p>