Realistically, how high can I raise my GPA by the time I graduate if I have a low GPA of barely a 2.0 in my second year of college.
I was in a similar situation by the end of the second year of college. I used to be a quite successful student, but not anymore when I entered college. Things got really bad by the end of the second year when I had a nasty break-up and also had, what I now recognize as, chronic depression. I had failed on two courses in my second year and had a GPA of 1.9!One day I received a phone call from my school’s Psychological Services asking me to attend a few mandatory sessions for students with low GPAs. That call had a huge impact on me, not because I actually attended the sessions, but because for the first time it seriously occurred to me where I now stand at this point in my life.When the third year kicked off, I promised myself to somehow get into a top graduate school and work on Artificial Intelligence, the subject I was mostly passionate about. I actually only missed a single 4 in the rest of my classes, and raised my GPA to 3.4, which happens to almost be the best I could theoretically do.I entered a Master's program at the University of Alberta, where I had the pleasure to be supervised by One of the best minds in AI.I then applied for a PhD and was offered admissions to University of Alberta, Brown University, and Harvard University.Coming back to your question, I guess the best you could possibly do with your GPA is ~3.3-3.5 depending on how things work at your school, but the best you could do in your life is a much more important question.
Can I be accepted into PhD programs with a 3.6 master's GPA?
Where? In the US? That depends on what else you have. For a Ph.D. admission, you are evaluated on standardized tests, such as GRE, research profile, and GPA (more important is your undergraduate GPA). So if both the first and second items as well as your undergraduate GPA* are in line with the master’s GPA, then perhaps you’ve a good chance.* GPA in the US is taken with a grain of salt: more important than the GPA is the school from which you obtained the GPA; a middle of the pile GPA from a good school is worth a lot more than a high GPA from a less known university. Also, the rank matters.
I had a 2.9 GPA and every grad program REQUIRES at least a 3.0. I feel like there is no way to meaningfully continue my education. What do I do?
I doubt you would get into a PhD program with a 2.9, but you don’t need to right away, even if it’s your goal. There are always options. You’ll likely need to a master’s degree, even if it’s not your end goal.First, not every program requires a 3.0. The MS CS at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will consider candidates with a 2.75, which you’re comfortably over. They’re not the only ones by far.Second, you can study as a postbacc. This is just a term for someone who has a bachelor’s degree and is enrolled in courses for credit, but is not in a degree program. Often schools will help you prepare for graduate education by taking upper-division courses (and sometimes grad courses). Any big public university will be experienced with people just like you who want to get into grad school but don’t have the GPA and/or the appropriate courses. Some schools will essentially admit you conditionally; they’ll let you start taking grad classes at a certain point, and will admit you to the master’s degree program if you meet a certain performance threshold, and all of your prior work will count toward your degree.Good luck!
Is a GPA of 2.8 in college bad?
A GPA of 2.8 is better than a GPA of 2.0, but worse than a GPA of 3.0. That’s all. Most graduate schools require a minimum GPA of 3.0. You can find a job and do well even with a low GPA. There is more to life than your GPA. After your first job, most likely, nobody will ever ask you for your GPA.
Did I ruin my chances for grad school?
Hi Black Balloon, I do not feel the two Ds are the issue and if they were I would say when applying for graduate school articulate the reason for them. My feeling the issue for you is much deeper and I feel unless you significantly improve your GPA it might be too low for graduate school especially if you are looking at clinical psychology. Clinical psychology programs are very competitive and some will say they are more competitive than medical school. Without a minimum cumulative 3.6 GPA you may find getting into a graduate clinical psychology program is difficult. However if your goal is another field in psychology like research or industrial / organizational then a cumulative GPA around 3.25 most likely will get you into a program somewhere. In addition given your current standing in school and GPA I feel if you are set on studying psychology at the graduate level then I would strongly recommend considering areas other than clinical. With that said, the one reality you need to begin facing with your overall GPA is you might not be accepted in graduate program in psychology especially if you are looking at clinical. Even if you repeat the class and raise your grade it will not do you much good. Reason being, most graduate schools will average the two grades together instead of taking the highest grade for calculating your GPA. This means that you need to develop a Plan B. Therefore I would recommend to consider as your Plan B either changing majors or double major with something that will get you a job after graduation. My reason for suggesting this is a BSc / BA degree in psychology does not qualify you to work as a psychologist, drug counselor, teacher, or to work unsupervised in a mental health setting. Best fields to consider for either changing majors or double major are social work, business, nursing, and possibly criminal justice. As a plan C especially if your GPA is around 3.25 and you are not able to get into a graduate psychology program then I would consider making applications to law school. Without a Plan B, maybe even a Plan C, and having a having GPA too low for grad school then you may find that the only career opportunity you have is call center worker or store greeter.
Is it even possible to raise my GPA from a 2.5 to a 3.8 when I have 120 credits already?
Up until earlier this year, I was in the same boat...sorta. I was in the midst of applying to medical schools when I ultimately realized that being a physician was not for me. I came to the realization that research is my strong suit. With that being said, take my comments with a grain of salt. First, do you have all the pre reqs for medical school completed? If not, a good bet is to apply to a post-bac program. That will give you the opportunity to complete the required courses, more importantly it's a chance to do outstanding work in hard sciences. And by good work I mean nothing less than an A- in the courses! Nothing says "I've matured..." like A's in chemistry, physics and calculus. Also, with the recent changes to the MCAT, you might need to take psychology and sociology...if you haven't taken those courses already. These disciplines have a combined subject area on the MCAT now. Have you taken the MCAT yet? Statistically speaking, a higher MCAT score can offset a lower GPA...somewhat. Do you have any experience dealing with direct patient care (volunteer or paid)? Many medical schools make it crystal clear that direct patient care/physician shadowing is something that most, if not all, competitive applicants have. I think it might be worth your time to talk to some of the pre med advisors at the university you graduated from. They may have some good advice. I think the most important thing is to not let your GPA get you down. The road ahead won't be easy but it's not impossible.
Can you commission in the Air Force with a low GPA?
The Airforce is infamous for having extremely high standards. You did not say if you were talking about a high school or college GPA. If it's a high school GPA… forget it. You are not going to get into the Air Force academy, and most AFROTC programs won't want you. Go to a community college for a couple of years and get straight As and… well I guess you could ask?For a college GPA if you are in AFROTC or at the AF accadamy you should check with your program advisor. I would guess they are already screaming at you that your grades are too low and you need to get them up NOW or be kicked out, but maybe your paperwork got lost or something.