What can I do to get into graduate school from here?

Graduate School
1

Hi, I will start this off saying I know I’m in deep crap. I’m painfully aware. Sorry if this is tl;dr I just really need help.

I’m a junior, economics major. I have about a 2.3 GPA. When I graduated high school, I went to a near top 100 university and well…things didn’t go so well. Not to mention I started off in a science major I’m not naturally good at. I started experiencing symptoms of mental illness my senior year of high school and things went downhill. After the fall semester of my sophomore year, my GPA reached a 1.8 something, I brought it back to a 2.0 my spring sophomore semester but was forced to take a leave of absence because I lost my financial aid.

Spent fall semester at a community college and got a 3.5 while working. I took an economics class and did well in it (I have known since high school I am very good at economics), and decided it would be my new major. I am now back at my 4 year university and doing mostly well, in my economics classes I’m excelling.

I’ve always wanted a PhD, but I had let the idea of that go. Buried it, burned it…I knew even if I made a recovery I don’t have the record. I have F’s on my transcript, I have D’s, I have R’s.

However, recently I went to see a professor of mine to ask her a question on the material. Much to my surprise she knew exactly who I was (class has 200 people), and had a few kind words to say about my economic abilities. I’m afraid she’s looking at me to be a TA, which would be embarrassing, because GPA wise I can’t right now.
I’m in the top 5% of that class, and the interaction got me thinking that I could maybe try for a masters degree in economics, even though I had planned to stop at my bachelors.

I have no research experience, no LOR and have never done any TAing. I might be able to graduate with around a 3.0. What should I do, if I can do anything? I will also not have many math classes, but will be taking the most math involved econ classes that are offered.

It is bad etiquette to ask a professor for a LOR if you’ve never done work for them? My university isn’t her primary university, and I will never take a class with her again.

2

Of course you can ask. She might say no but she might say yes too.

3

-Yes, most people ask for at least 1-2 recommendations from someone they just took a class with and didn’t do any research work for. Most people only work with one advisor, so you kind of have to end up doing that. It’s expected.

-If you get at least a 3.0 and you show a sharp upward trend with excellent grades in your economics classes, you can get an MA in economics. If you do really well in the MA in economics and get some more research experience, you could later get a PhD if you wanted to. But the PhD desire should be because there’s something specific you need the PhD to do, not just to have one.

-If you know you have no research experience, go get some. Talk to a professor at your actual university and try to do an independent study semester or assist them in their own research. This will also yield an eventual LOR.