<p>I'm interested in getting into MIT to pursue my PhD in Economics. I graduated with my undergrade degree in Mathematics with an overall GPA of 3.71 and my major (math) GPA is 4.0. </p>
<p>I am currently studying for the GRE. So, I can't tell you yet what my score is, so we won't be able to factor that into my question.....</p>
<p>I went to school full time for 4 years and got my math degree from 2003 - 2007. I've been working as an Electronic Warfare Scientist since I graduated in 2007. Back in the day, I took some undergrad courses at different community colleges. I wasn't serious about school back then. I'm afraid that those grades will bring down my overall GPA if they average all of those community colleges into it. My question: Do the admissions people look at the last college you attended or do they seriously factor in all of your GPAs even if they were from a long time ago?</p>
<p>I have the following GPAs:
4-year University graduated 2007: Points: 385.60, Credits: 104, GPA: 3.707
2-year community college 2002: Points: 85.70, Credits: 26.0, GPA: 3.29
2-year community college 2002: Points: 63.00, Credits: 19.5, GPA: 3.231
2-year community college 1994: Points: 46.00, Credits: 13.00, GPA: 3.538</p>
<p>GPA is only a small part of the equation. Based on what you have written, it doesn’t look like you have a strong shot. Successful applicants to top econ programs, in addition to stellar GPA’s and GRE’s (800 Q), they have impressive research experience in economics and outstanding letters of recommendations. You haven’t mentioned anything about economics research nor potential letters of recommendation and without these, you’re done.</p>
<p>I know that other stuff is important. I didn’t mention any of that stuff because I assumed it was a “given.” I assumed that those things have to be stellar to get in. I was just wondering if I have a chance with my 3.70 GPA … and with the community colleges being factored into my GPA or not. I would hate for my GPA to be taken down a few notches because of the fact that I went to community college a long time ago. I wish they would just look at my GPA from the university because I’ve heard that a 3.70 is good enough to get into MIT with of course all the other parts of my application being good.</p>
<p>So, if anyone could just let me know if I even have to list those community colleges? If I don’t have to report those, then they would just see my 3.70 GPA instead. Also, if they do factor those in, will that averaged GPA of 3.571 be good enough to get in, this is including of course if all the other parts of my application (GRE, letters of recommendation, etc.) were great.</p>
<p>One quick question beforehand, is it possible that your post “community college on 1994” actually a typo of 2004?</p>
<p>PhD programs weigh last 60 units (latest 2 years, basically) heavier, so the fact you have 3.7 GPA on your latest is to your advantage, especially if you have upward trend. It’s safe to say old GPA from older CC will have small effect on your app. Even more so with the fact that you took that community college 6-16 years ago.</p>
<p>You have a chance with 3.7 considering GPA alone BUT it all boils down to your competitors: everyone that applies to MIT will have somewhere between 3.6-4 GPA so if every applicants with those GPA ask the same question the answer will be “yes you have a chance” while the fact is only ~5% will be accepted. It’s because research/LoR/SoP weigh much more than GPA. If your other parts of app are great (greater than other applicants) then I can be quite sure that yes you definitely have a chance.</p>
<p>I started filling out the online application today for MIT and there is one thing that might help overshadow those community college GPAs… they asked me to list all of my math courses and the grades I got in all of them. I had 17 and they were all A’s. So, that did make me feel better that they are really looking at those courses I took. That will hopefully stand out more than the community college GPAs. **I noticed that some schools want Real Analysis, but I didn’t take that class. Hopefully, some of my other “theory” classes will substitute for that.</p>
<p>Oh yeah and to answer your other question… yes 1994 was right. I’m OLD!! I’m 36. I’m sort of a “late bloomer.” I didn’t know what I wanted to do right out of high school, it took me awhile to do some maturing about school work and taking my education seriously.</p>
<p>Just be realistic in the application process and apply widely. Getting into MIT or any top school is extremely competitive - people get rejected even if they have perfect GPAs and near perfect GREs, and near perfect everything else.</p>
<p>I think you’re asking the wrong questions. Yes, your GPA is problematic but not impossible. Here’s an applications datum for you: One Top 5 Econ PhD program (not MIT): 800+ applicants, cohort of 20. I assume MIT is in the same league, maybe a little tougher though at that point, what’s the difference.</p>
<p>All but one of the US students had significant work experience. N.B., not necessarily “research” as often bandied about on these boards but relevant and significant. The plum job is an RA position with the Federal Reserve; there are many substitutes. That experience, and associated LOR’s, is going to weigh more heavily than a .1 delta in GPA.</p>
<p>Real Analysis is not an absolute requirement but you make it more difficult without. Given the app numbers, how many minor dings can you afford? I’d throw in Complex Analysis for good measure. Electives like Topology and Combinatorics aren’t a bad idea either.</p>
<p>Taking doctoral-level micro is another thing you can do in place of real analysis, but getting through it without any real analysis would be the difficult part.</p>
<p>Each school will weight things differently and will look at those long-ago courses differently, but I suspect that most will either almost ignore or place little weight on courses taken in 1994 or the distant past. More recent work is always more relevant and usually weighted more heavily.</p>
<p>Different question: which university gave you a degree in mathematics without a real analysis course? That and the fact that you put the “theory” in ‘theory classes’ in quotes makes me a bit concerned about the rigor of your undergraduate education. </p>
<p>I cannot speak for economics graduate programs, but math graduate programs care a lot about an applicant’s undergraduate origin; they fully well understand that math is taught differently at Princeton than at a regional public university. </p>
<p>If you graduated from a not-so-rigorous undergraduate program, you might have to work even harder to show that you are qualified for the top PhD programs.</p>
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I’m 36. I’m sort of a “late bloomer.” I didn’t know what I wanted to do right out of high school, it took me awhile to do some maturing about school work and taking my education seriously.</p>