(no subject)
Ok, with this post I would (of course) like input from all of you, but particularly from the ones who have attended/applied for/know someone who goes to/know anything related to graduate school.
So, a little bit of background:
I kicked some ass in highschool, and had every expectency of doing the same in college. Until I lost my mind (astonishing the effects that crippling depression will have on ones grades and ability/desire to attend class.) Being the determined (foolish) student that I was, I couldn't just take time off because that would mean "failing" at something I was supposed to excel at. So what happened was that I would sign up for classes, keep afloat in them long enough that it would be too late to withdraw, and then end up failing -- thus severely damaging my GPA as well as costing my parents thousands and thousands of dollars in the process (because, naturally, I went to a small private school where tuition is/was app. $35,000 per year.) When I FINALLY graduated, I swore that I was done with school -- which made sense because I was totally burnt out on it after it having taken me 5.5 years to finish.
Now, however, I've been in the "general workforce" for, oh, about a year now and I'm ready to go back to school. Or at least ready to start seriously researching what it would take. To this end, I emailed my school's registrar to ask what my overall GPA ended up being, because that is an important number to be armed with when looking at schools. After a week of sending emails back and forth to the school, I finally recieved my "unofficial" transcript, with the overall GPA being (drumroll please...) 2.61230.
I have mixed feelings about that number. When I first saw it, I was NOT happy. It would totally have been unacceptable in High School or, even, before I went nuts. Then there is the part of me that chimes in with "Erin, that is not that bad -- especially considering how many Fs your transcript is littered with."
The problem with that GPA is that the school I MOST want to go to (San Francisco State Graduate Program) requires at least a 3.0 for their MA program in the subject I want to pursue. UCSB doesn't seem to have a minimum GPA, but they require the GRE, which would suck to have to take, but do-able. (The thing is, I want to be in SF, not SB... Though we'll see where we end up when N figures out which PhD programs he gets accepted to.)
So I guess my question to all of you is: is the GPA thing totally rigid? I have a valid reason for NOT doing all that well; and both before I got sick, and since I got "better" my grades are all As and Bs... I was told (by someone who hasn't been through this process, mind you) that grad schools look at the whole package, not just GPA -- which I know is true, except that I still get nervous about the 3.0 REQUIREMENT. Any help? Reassurances? Pats on the hand and soothing words? Please?
On a tastier note, Kettle brand potato chips has a flavor called "Buffalo Bleu" which is very, very good. Like a chicken wing and bleu cheese dip on a chip! At the same time spicy, tangy, cheesy... delicious.
So, a little bit of background:
I kicked some ass in highschool, and had every expectency of doing the same in college. Until I lost my mind (astonishing the effects that crippling depression will have on ones grades and ability/desire to attend class.) Being the determined (foolish) student that I was, I couldn't just take time off because that would mean "failing" at something I was supposed to excel at. So what happened was that I would sign up for classes, keep afloat in them long enough that it would be too late to withdraw, and then end up failing -- thus severely damaging my GPA as well as costing my parents thousands and thousands of dollars in the process (because, naturally, I went to a small private school where tuition is/was app. $35,000 per year.) When I FINALLY graduated, I swore that I was done with school -- which made sense because I was totally burnt out on it after it having taken me 5.5 years to finish.
Now, however, I've been in the "general workforce" for, oh, about a year now and I'm ready to go back to school. Or at least ready to start seriously researching what it would take. To this end, I emailed my school's registrar to ask what my overall GPA ended up being, because that is an important number to be armed with when looking at schools. After a week of sending emails back and forth to the school, I finally recieved my "unofficial" transcript, with the overall GPA being (drumroll please...) 2.61230.
I have mixed feelings about that number. When I first saw it, I was NOT happy. It would totally have been unacceptable in High School or, even, before I went nuts. Then there is the part of me that chimes in with "Erin, that is not that bad -- especially considering how many Fs your transcript is littered with."
The problem with that GPA is that the school I MOST want to go to (San Francisco State Graduate Program) requires at least a 3.0 for their MA program in the subject I want to pursue. UCSB doesn't seem to have a minimum GPA, but they require the GRE, which would suck to have to take, but do-able. (The thing is, I want to be in SF, not SB... Though we'll see where we end up when N figures out which PhD programs he gets accepted to.)
So I guess my question to all of you is: is the GPA thing totally rigid? I have a valid reason for NOT doing all that well; and both before I got sick, and since I got "better" my grades are all As and Bs... I was told (by someone who hasn't been through this process, mind you) that grad schools look at the whole package, not just GPA -- which I know is true, except that I still get nervous about the 3.0 REQUIREMENT. Any help? Reassurances? Pats on the hand and soothing words? Please?
On a tastier note, Kettle brand potato chips has a flavor called "Buffalo Bleu" which is very, very good. Like a chicken wing and bleu cheese dip on a chip! At the same time spicy, tangy, cheesy... delicious.