Professor screwed up my GPA, making it hard to transfer!

<p>Hi, hope somebody can help me out here...</p>

<p>I'm currently a freshman at a state school in New Jersey, and I'm looking at transferring into a more prestigious school for my sophomore year. I've worked hard this past year in order to maintain a respectable GPA, since my high school grades and SAT scores are fairly average.</p>

<p>Here's the problem. I currently have a 3.542 GPA, when I'm actually supposed to have around a 3.6. My one professor admitted to me--as well as several other students in the class--that she screwed up our grades, and is in the process of getting them fixed. However, this was back in December. Tomorrow is March, and those transfer deadlines are coming up.</p>

<p>I've tried complaining to several people, including the professor and the head of my department, but they're absolutely useless. They keep telling me it will be more and more weeks until my GPA is fixed, and they show absolutely no sympathy.</p>

<p>I finally came to the point where I lied and said that I'm applying for several scholarships that require a 3.6 GPA, and if they don't fix it soon, and I can't apply for those scholarships, I'll have trouble paying for college next year. Good thing that's not really true, because still, nothing happened.</p>

<p>Bothering them will only get me so far. Those deadlines are coming up, and I need to know what to do. I'm applying for fairly competitive schools, so I can't just give in and go with the lesser score, especially since I worked so hard to get that 3.6. Should I just send in the applications and write somewhere that my GPA is actually higher? Or does that sound immature, and will actually hurt my chances? Do I complain to the school president? I'm lost here!</p>

<p>Thanks in advance...</p>

<p>Dude, if you ask me then I don’t think there is a huge difference between 3.542 and 3.6 … I bet as long as you are qualified in other aspects as well, the more prestigious schools will admit you. If it’s a 4.0 and a 3.542 then you should take actions. But 3.542 and 3.6 … i don’t think the difference is enough to affect your chances.</p>

<p>Thanks for the insight, Mixter. You’re probably right, and maybe I am overanalyzing this, but I can’t help but think that a 3.6 will be more eye-grabbing then a 3.542. Sucks that my school has to be so incompetent!</p>

<p>Mixter is right, but frankly there is no way that this should have dragged on for 2+ months. It is really really really EASY for college to change a grade. I’ve had to submit updated grades myself (almost always to change an incomplete into an actual grade), and it only took the registrar a day or two to make the adjustment.</p>

<p>Thanks Got2BeGreen. What can I say? I’ve sent email after email, and continue to get the same lifeless response. I love my school, but the department I’m in obviously doesn’t give a crap about its students. The professor in question is without a doubt the most careless educator I’ve had in my life. I’m not surprised that if anyone were to screw me over like this, it would be her.</p>

<p>E-mail is a useless way to get anything done. Do this:</p>

<p>(1) Print out copies of several e-mails you’ve sent, along with any confirmation you have that your grade should be higher.
(2) Immediately take them to your advisor and ask for helping expediting the grade change.
(3) If that doesn’t work, immediately take them to the department chair of the offending prof and ask for help expediting the grade change.
(4) If that doesn’t work, immediately take them to the dean of students, of academic affairs, and/or of faculty and ask for help expediting the grade change.
(5) If that doesn’t work, then switch schools. Seriously - I know you’re already looking, and I’d run as fast as possible in some other direction.</p>

<p>yeah. I really understand how you feel when your school acts like that. It sucks big time. But trust me, now is the time for you to focus on other materials of your application. The numbers might not affect you at all but your state of frustration might lead you to the point where you actually harm your own chances.</p>

<p>Just imagine the situation of a competitive school where they are processing thousands of application then you have them to read one more note from you saying what is different between your 3.6 and 3.542 … the adcom might just ignore the small difference, or worse they might have the false impression that you are the type of people who panick on tiny details thus will thumb down on you.</p>

<p>You are a great student and it’s totally your school’s fault. But this time, strategically, you should let it go. I believe it benefits more you that way. Best luck!!!</p>