Tag: GPA

Ask the average applicant to graduate school in psychology and they will likely recite GPA and GRE scores as the top admissions criteria. They have intentionally spent many hours studying for their classes to achieve an excellent grade point average. It may seem like you have a slim chance of getting into graduate school without a top GPA from the outside looking in, but that is not the truth. If you indeed have a less-than-stellar GPA, you can still fulfill your dreams of earning a graduate degree in psychology. Here are some strategies to achieve a well-rounded graduate application package without graduating magna or summa cum laude.

1. Is your GPA as “subpar” as you might think?
This might seem like a silly question, but plenty of applicants obsess over their GPA as if it is the sole “make or break” criteria to get into psychology graduate programs. The reality is that it is not. If you have a GPA in the 3.0-3.5 range, you can STILL earn an acceptance letter to grad school – no matter what published statistics say on university websites. Even if your GPA is in the low 2.0-range, it is still possible for you to go onto advanced study in psychology.

2. Is your grade point average substantially higher in your major?
Take a quick inventory of your transcript. It is becoming more popular for graduate school applications to ask for your overall GPA and then your GPA in your major. Most applicants don’t necessarily realize it, but if you calculate your average GPA in your major, you may very well have a high GPA where it matters most. Even if you grad school application doesn’t ask for overall GPA in your major, if you can demonstrate a higher GPA it makes sense to bring this to the attention of the graduate admissions committee.

3. Do you have an explanation for your low grades?
Did you not take your classes as seriously as you should have Freshman or Sophomore year? Did goofing off lower your GPA, but you were able to bounce back with a substantially higher GPA in your latter college years? If so, mention “your story” as an overall theme for your personal statement. Being able to boast a higher GPA during your Junior or Senior years (and presenting a convincing argument for why this makes you an ideal candidate) may be your ticket to get into graduate school.

4. Is your graduate application package well-rounded?
Ask a graduate admissions committee member and they will tell you that GPA isn’t everything. It may not even be the most important factor in admissions decisions. If you have a subpar GPA, you will want to balance this with great GRE scores, lots of practical or research experience, a thoughtful and well-written personal statement, and exemplary letters of recommendation.

You may want to strongly consider applying for master’s degree programs rather than Ph.D. programs. Usually doctorate programs admit those “superstar” students who have near perfect GPAs and GRE scores. Instead, master’s degree programs typically have more lenient admissions criteria than Ph.D. programs. Successfully gaining admission to a master’s degree program allows you to “start the clock over” and post a brand new grade point average. For many students it is a second chance to solidify chances of getting into psychology Ph.D. programs.

Why Parents Choice of Private Schools Has Changed Lives.

The education and preparation provided by private schools are unparalleled. Statistics show that pupils who attend private schools are four times more likely to achieve high honors when they enroll into high school than their public school counterparts. Students graduating from private schools have demonstrated an ability to not only excel in high school, but in college as well.

Further statistics show that students at fee-paying schools made up 43.9 percent of those given places at Oxford University and 41 percent of those at Cambridge. Also, 92.9 percent of pupils leaving independent schools went on to higher education in 2008. This highlights an alarming inadequacy in public education. There must be a proportionate amount of equally bright children at state schools, but they are missing out on the top grades due to an inadequate educational environment.

One private school graduate from Carden Academy explained Carden Academy gave me the ability to balance all of the activities in which I was involved in while maintaining a high GPA (3.7). My deep knowledge of and comfort with the fundamentals of sentence composition and parts of speech served as an indispensable skill while in high school honors and Advanced Placement courses, and in college, writing my larger papers were a breeze.

Because private schools tend to offer a more rigorous curriculum than public schools, students attending private schools are better prepared for the demands of college. Several college admissions have noticed the difference in education and given added weight to attendance at competitive private schools. In order to give your child the best opportunities for academic excellence, private schools have demonstrated their unrivaled ability to help students develop into world-class scholars. By educating your child at a private school, they will gain the knowledge and confidence to succeed not only in academics, but in life.

To learn more about private elementary education for your child and how it can change their life, visit CardenAcademy.com or call (949) 458-1776.