How admissions officers weigh an applicant’s undergraduate GPA in the admissions process varies per graduate program.
Some programs, for instance, weigh a major GPA more heavily than a cumulative GPA, according to Crystal Hall Buckley, director of graduate admissions at George Mason University in Virginia. Therefore, she encourages applicants to “reach out directly to the faculty for their program of interest to learn more about how they consider GPA or academic preparedness for their individual program.”
However, most programs review applications on a holistic basis, experts say, so GPA is one of many factors considered.
[READ: A Helpful Grad School Application Timeline]
“Graduate schools consider educational goals, experiences, academic readiness, career aspirations and trajectory, and several other factors when reviewing an application,” Buckley wrote in an email. “These characteristics are all defined differently based on the discipline or the program level, but each are needed to be successful in graduate school. Programs desire to enroll students who will enhance the classroom experience, have a passion for the discipline and will better the field.”
Here are some ways for applicants with a lower GPA to impress graduate school admissions officers.
How to Stay Competitive in the Application Process
Without a high GPA, applicants can stand out in other ways, such as through their essay or personal statement, admissions interview, strong test scores, additional work experience and recommendation letters.
Showcase Qualities, Attributes in an Essay or Personal Statement
Essays or personal statements allow students to outline who they are as a person, says Juliet Langman, dean of Kennesaw State University‘s graduate college in Georgia.
Applicants can explain the reasons for their low GPA and talk about how their work or study plans have changed so that won’t continue to be an issue in graduate school, Langman says. “It’s really important to think carefully about what the admissions committee is going to be looking at and what could I say in my letter that is going to change the way in which those things I can’t change, like my GPA, might be viewed.”
It can also be the place for applicants to alert admissions officers if a personal or professional issue affected their academic performance.
“Transparency is key,” Buckley says. “I would encourage the applicant to be forthcoming about the challenges they faced during their undergraduate education and the ways in which they have grown since. Very few have experienced a perfect academic journey, therefore, they are rarely the outlier. Explain the challenges briefly and move on to talk about all of the amazing things accomplished since.”
Talk About Your Personal Journey in Admissions Interview
Applicants can also be upfront about their academic or personal challenges in an admissions interview — which may be required by certain programs.
“The essay and the interview are natural places to stand out because it allows you to tell a little bit more about your personal journey and about the reasons why you are not just selecting a program or a career, but also that institution,” says Katie Olivo, director of college outreach at Shenandoah University in Virginia. These application factors can “really help the school feel that you’ve done your research and that you know where you want to go with your career and why this institution is going to be the one that helps you the most.”
[Read: How to Find Scholarships for Graduate School]
Consider Submitting Test Scores
Many graduate programs no longer require test scores. However, if an applicant’s test scores are strong, experts suggest submitting them to strengthen their application.
Choose the Right Person to Write Recommendation Letters
Grades are not the only way for admissions officers to gain an understanding of a student’s full academic history. Including a letter of recommendation from a faculty member in a graduate school application, for instance, can add perspective, Olivo says.
However, a letter of recommendation doesn’t necessarily have to come from a current or former professor.
“Find people to write recommendations who can speak to their persistence, character and drive in the classroom or workplace,” Buckley says. “Do not focus on the titles of those who write recommendations, but what they can say about you, as those are the ones that stand out.”
What to Know Before Pursuing a Graduate Degree
Before applying to graduate school, potential students must consider the value of the degree, says Sean Schrader, president of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students.
A higher degree “shows mastery in the concept,” he says. “But at the end of the day, what you need to do is evaluate how you can see this degree really helping propel you to the next step. Does that mean you want to go into education, maybe into teaching? Does it mean you want to go into something in the arena of additional work, maybe a promotion or additional fields of study? That’s a very important question that has to be answered before pursuing a degree. Because with a master’s degree, with a doctoral degree, with a continuing education degree, those are all significant commitments.”
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, experts say.
[Read: Is Graduate School Worth the Cost?]
“A lot of times people read information on a website or read something on an information sheet and they might take that language and say, ‘Oh, well, I can’t apply,'” Olivo says. “Before you make that judgment call or make that decision that they only will take someone with a 3.0 or higher, call (or visit) the school and talk to somebody in the admissions committee. … Say, ‘Here’s my background. Here’s where I’m coming from. Is there a way that I can be considered for this program?”
If you have that conversation early, she adds, “you’ll really get a sense of how that school is reviewing applications and whether or not that will be a good fit for them as a student. Instead of them being discouraged from the start, it can kind of help them piece together what schools they want to apply to then for graduate school.”
Applicants can also attend open houses of the graduate programs they are interested in. These often present good opportunities to meet staff and faculty members, and sometimes current students and recent graduates.
“It can be very helpful in hearing other students’ experiences and how they relate to your own experiences or what your goals are,” Langman says.
Searching for a grad school? Access our complete rankings of Best Graduate Schools.
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Applying to Graduate School With a Low GPA originally appeared on usnews.com
