Weird spot when it comes to gpa.

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dannyhowyoufeel
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Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2022 3:06 pm

Weird spot when it comes to gpa.

Post by dannyhowyoufeel » Wed Jun 29, 2022 4:00 pm

I have completed 152 credits with a 2.98 gpa. I have a 3.96 gpa for my last 110 credits. I came back to my college after being academically dismissed. I have 940 physics gre. I have a 1.5 years of research in condensed matter physics. I also have aced my 4 graduate courses. Should I give up because of my gpa?

neutrinos
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Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2021 12:52 am

Re: Weird spot when it comes to gpa.

Post by neutrinos » Wed Jun 29, 2022 9:23 pm

No you shouldn't. Just briefly explain your situation in your personal statement. Schools look beyond just one statistic and generally look at how your grades progress over time. You should be fine

gaugeinvariance
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Re: Weird spot when it comes to gpa.

Post by gaugeinvariance » Thu Jun 30, 2022 11:28 am

Unfortunately, although adcom look beyond just one statistic, the GPA itself would be weighted quite heavily. A 2.98 GPA would raise doubts on whether you are well prepared for graduate research. A P-GRE of 940 is of course, good, but it would be nice if you are having a 3.8/3.9, not a 2.98. In order to make your profile more impressive, you should have stellar rec-lec (whom can also address your issue of having a 2.98), and fantastic research experience (e.g. multiple publications). I am sorry but this is the truth. Addressing you own issue in the personal statement, is of course useful, but there are way more people having even more awful issues than you (maybe) but still manage to have a 4.0 GPA.

That being said, I still encourage you to apply, but make sure to apply for enough safeties. Basically, your GPA has shut your door from elite schools (like top 10 in physics/astronomy, not just simply HMPS Berkeley Caltech, although they made up of 6 out of 10 of the elites, please refer to USNEWS), but you can still try. I would suggest you start looking for Master programs. Do well in your master courses (get a 4.0 GPA), and publish paper (not simply submit) in impactful journals. This would increase your chance of getting admitted in the next cycle. Please feel free to ask any questions you would like to.

geekusprimus
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Re: Weird spot when it comes to gpa.

Post by geekusprimus » Thu Jun 30, 2022 3:20 pm

The reality is that it's a lot more complicated than either neutrinos or gaugeinvariance are suggesting.

Some schools look at your cumulative GPA. Some schools only care about your major GPA. Other schools only care about your grades in your last two years of coursework. Some look at all your grades, but they look for upward and downward trends. Some employ strict GPA cutoffs. Others don't. There's not a hard-and-fast rule for how a school treats your GPA.

As others have mentioned, you can mention it in your personal statement, but I would also strongly recommend talking with your academic/research advisor about their suggestions, perhaps also asking them to bring it up in their letter, too. After that, I would look first for schools without strict cutoffs, then look at their admissions FAQs and applications to find out which ones only care about your last two years of courses.

You probably haven't closed as many doors as you might think, especially given the circumstances of why your GPA is what it is, but you'll get much better advice talking to someone that has actually been on an admissions committee. Recent trends with the GRE and PGRE mean that this forum is nearly dead these days, and most of the responses come from a limited sample of graduate students and prospective graduate students with nothing to offer but anecdotes and a single data point.

MatijaSever
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Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2022 8:20 pm

Re: Weird spot when it comes to gpa.

Post by MatijaSever » Mon Mar 13, 2023 9:34 am

dannyhowyoufeel wrote:
Wed Jun 29, 2022 4:00 pm
I have completed 152 credits with a 2.98 gpa. I have a 3.96 gpa for my last 110 https://telegrambetting.club/telegram-sports-betting/tennis-betting-telegram/. I came back to my college after being academically dismissed. I have 940 physics gre. I have a 1.5 years of research in condensed matter physics. I also have aced my 4 graduate courses. Should I give up because of my meat knives?


Hi Danny, it sounds like you have a lot of impressive accomplishments and you should be proud of them! I don't think you should give up because of your GPA - you can still make a great impression with employers and grad schools if you focus on the positive experiences you've had and the skills you've gained. Good luck!



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