Questions from an undergrad

Graduate School
1

<p>Hi there, I have a few questions for those of you seasoned in today’s world of academia, specifically grad school in Indiana. I pretty much have to alienate all potential schools outside of IN because, well, I live here and couldn’t possibly afford out of state when the time comes to enrolling in grad school. I want to make sure you know a little about me before drilling you with questions, so here is mikefitz in a nutshell:</p>

<p>Age: 20
Bachelor of Science - Industrial Technology, Purdue 2008. (<a href=“http://www.tech.purdue.edu/it/academics/undergraduate/curricula/it_bs.cfm[/url]”>http://www.tech.purdue.edu/it/academics/undergraduate/curricula/it_bs.cfm</a>)
Expected graduation GPA: just above 3.0
Parent’s taxable income: Around $40k
Favorite color: Red.
Minor in Computer Technology.</p>

<p>I will be interning with either Subaru or Caterpillar next summer before I enter my senior year at the university, so I will at least have some light resume material before I go off into the workforce looking for a real job. Without boring you with more facts about myself, I’m going to ask you a few questions about grad school. I have a great interest in Political Science and Business Administration. I’d tend to be more partial to Purdue or IU, but would definitely consider other institutions within IN if they excel in pol sci or mba.</p>

<li>For IU and Purdue, what are the chances of enrollment if I have a weak (3.0ish) GPA?</li>
<li>I’ve heard that grad programs sometimes take your last two undergrad years into consideration more than the first two, as far as grade performance goes - is there any truth to this? Does it vary from major to major?</li>
<li>ANY suggestions you have PLEASE post in this topic.</li>
</ol>

<p>OFF TOPIC: If an electrical engineer has a 2.9 GPA and an English major has a 4.0, is the difficulty of the major taken into consideration by the grad school application committee?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>First - the MBA side: Most places will expect a GPA of 3.0 as the absolute minimum plus better than average scores on the GMAT. Many expect some real world work experience as well. As you have surmised, you'll have to pay for your MBA. </p>

<p>PolySci is another matter altogether. Again, GPA of 3.0 or better is a typical minimum (for all grad school really) but you'll be taking the GRE this time. You should look at programs everywhere because many will be providing "full support" for their grad students. This usually means some sort of fellowship or RA position the first year, then TA duties the next few, with fellowship your dissertation year. </p>

<p>Finally, don't assume that English is an easier major than EE. To give you an idea of what I mean, I took a course on early 20th century American novels - in 12 weeks we read 11 novels, wrote a 5+ page "reaction" paper on each, then a 20 page final paper integrating the themes we studied with reference to our choice of 4 of the novels.</p>