<p>So I attended a large state school (public ivy) and got a <2.5 gpa for engineering. Now I'm in my junior year starting spring semester. There's absolutely no way that I can graduate with a 3.0 even if I miraculously started getting straight A's. At this point, all my dreams that I had of going to a top business grad school are going downhill. I'm preparing to transfer to a smaller private university where I've taken a few classes before and have gotten good grades. Even if I transfer and do well in that college, when I apply for grad schools, they will see my 2 yrs of awful grades..really scarring.. when I transfer, should I just start out as a freshman ? Its really annoying to take 2 years of classes all over again but if its going to help me get into my dream school, I'm willing to do it. (I would be getting a free ride if I just showed my Highschool grades too so the money isn't an issue, just the annoyance ) ....should I start as a freshman or continue as a transfer student? I only have a few days to decide since spring semester is starting soon so its kind of urgent. Any help guys? ..</p>
<p>Those 2 years are not going to magically disappear. Even if you started over as a freshman to graduate with a clean GPA from your degree-awarding institution, graduate schools will see your current transcripts too. (Most grad schools want to see transcripts from any college you have ever been enrolled in. Hiding past enrollment is risky because the National Student Clearinghouse has a record of it.)</p>
<p>Does your current university have a grade forgiveness policy? If you retake a class, will the new grade replace the old grade on your transcript? That might be your best bet to erase your worst grades from your records.</p>
<p>That aside, would your new university even let you start over as a freshman? (I.e., will they erase your transfer credits and give you a full 8 semesters of financial aid if you ask? My undergraduate college admits transfer students with shorter aid eligibility periods than first-year students.)</p>
<p>I would question how successful you are going to be at a “top” Business school. I understand the prestige that goes along with it, but sometimes the “best” isn’t the best fit for a person.</p>
<p>“Resetting” your academics isn’t going to do much I think; it is possible that they might get ahold of your previous academic record and you could be bounced from a program for “fraud”. </p>
<p>My suggestion is to simply finish strong in your last two years. Most post-graduate schools accept that there is a transition period from HS to College; so they’re more focused on a students final two semesters of work.</p>
<p>Starting over is not really going to help you, since as people already indicated, your past two years’ work is still going to go on your transcripts.</p>
<p>Finish your last two years as strongly as possible. Do some internships during your last two summers and beef up that resume. Make some contacts. Then when you graduate, try to get the best business job you can. If you can do excellent work there and rise through the ranks quickly in the next 3-5 years, then you’ll have better prospects at a top MBA program.</p>
<p>Um wait if you are currently in your junior year, means there are still approx 60 college credit to complete (and more if you can take summer classes), how can you not raise 2-2.5 GPA to at least 3 if you get straight A?
So let’s say you got straight C during first 2 years (GPA = 2) (I’m sure your grade is better than this since below 2 = drop out?)
And you are getting straight A during last 2 years (GPA = 4)
and each 2 years = 60 credits
(60x2 + 60x4)/120 = 3.0 GPA
So if you take more than 60 (lets say 70 of “elective” classes during summer) during your last 2 years and get straight As:
(60x2 + 70x4)/130 = 3.07 GPA
If that’s not enough for you, think about this: instead of redoing 2 years, just take one more year in college before graduating (5 years total - so you have 3 years more to complete, and you can get 90 more unit of straight As).
60x2 + 90x4 = 3.2 (B+ average)
So now you have raised your 2.0 average to 3.2 average.</p>
<p>And it’s all in your favor too: if they see you having straight C during your first 2 years of college on “easy” general education classes, but you get straight As during your last 2-3 years on “harder” major core courses, they will see a crazy upward trend that shows you have matured/changed, beating whatever challenges you got during your first 2 years, and that you are competent in your major. So even though your GPA is low 3s, you’re going to get in good grad school for sure.</p>
<p>Dude/Dudette,</p>
<p>Unless you want to become the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, there is no need to go to any top level (or ivy league for that matter) business school. There are plenty of solid business schools at state universities that are more than capable of traing you for the work force, and helping you land a job. With that said, the only real way to have any positive effect on your GPA, is to change your major. If you change your major from engineering, to business admin. schools will mostly focus on how well you did in your business classes, as opposed to engineering classes that have little or nothing to do with business. If you do this, you will add probably 1-1.5 more years onto your college career, but establishing a “clean” record is key. But even if you do all of these things, you still have to get at minimum a 3.00 gpa at the end of college. No reputable business school takes students w/ GPA<3.00. You just have to buckle down, and stop doing what you used to do.</p>