<p>University’s will let students believe that all they have to do is have a 3.0 GPA to continue their education. They don’t tell you how many kids have signed up for the same major. They don’t tell you that only 40 to 50 kids get accepted into that major. They don’t tell you that your kids may need a 3.5 GPA or higher to proceed on. If colleges are run by the state their financial records should be made public. How much money are these schools making? What happens to the kids that don’t get in because of them not hiring more teachers or expanding schools? They either change their major, be put on a waiting list or drop out. What happens to the money the kids already spent to get into the certain major? There should be a refund policy for these kids. These schools should be held accountable for turning our kids away.</p>
<p>Did your kid not get into their major because of the GPA requirement? That is disheartening, but I am sure it happens to many students. It really is the student’s responsibility to know these things. It is not the University’s fault, especially if it is a top-notch program that attracts a lot of applicants. It is not a question of hiring more faculty or expanding the school, as they may have certain standards they want to maintain, and that includes a GPA. I truly feel bad for your child if their heart was set on this major. Do they have a second choice? Or can they reapply next semester when it may be less competitive?</p>
<p>I think what the OP is saying is that a GPA requirement may be higher than published, because of space availability. For instance, at the school I’m at, the most competitive program gives a list of GPA and standardized test requirjements, along with pre-reqs necessary to get in. If you read the catalog, you would assume that you know what’s necessary.</p>
<p>However, because of space availability and popularity of the program, what they do is rank the qualified candidates, then draw a line wherever the space ends. So qualified candidates who knew the requirements can still be shut out.</p>
<p>The actual procedure at my college definitely needs to be more transparent as it’s very misleading right now.</p>
<p>Well, I don’t know the particular circumstances, but I’m sure that can happen one year, and not another. Very many programs publish a GPA which would be the minimum required to even apply into that major, but not a guarantee of acceptance. That’s why I tell my kids, ask, ask, ask. Make up questions. Make up scenarios. What if’s. Worst case. And it can still catch you unawares. It’s very frustrating. I have spoken with a certain school department, and it took many probing questions to find out that for the first time ever, more students applied to a specialization than they could accept.</p>
<p>This is the biggest reason my son is reluctant to attend U Washington. He wants to study engineering, and you have to apply to the engineering school as at the end of sophomore year. They won’t tell you in advance what the selection guidelines are – the student is supposed to commit to two years on faith and then apply without a clue of what it takes to get into the engineering department of their choice. As WashDadJr said, “They expect me to spend two years in school and then I might not get to study engineering? Forget that.”</p>
<p>I think all these things are researched in the selection process or should be. The information is there to be reviewed. And there are places like this one where a person can find opinons about a certain school. </p>
<p>College is the first phase of competing for a job or career. If 50 spots are open, ya better not be 51st.</p>
<p>“it’s very misleading right now.”</p>
<p>Is it misleading or are we easily led?</p>
<p>Wanting something so bad that we put on our own blinders is often the problem. We talk ourselves into more bad decisions than good ones in our lives.</p>
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<p>I mostly agree with you on this, but…</p>
<p>The problem is that learning how to ask the right questions takes time and a dedication to skeptical research that is not a natural skill, and is certainly not often taught. The data might be there, but the means to uncover it are not obvious if you don’t already know the questions to ask.</p>
<p>I don’t agree that the information is necessarily there to be reviewed. If the programs are very well known or highly ranked, then perhaps the competitiveness is made known on their website. But there are many seemingly non-selective programs that may not specify these details. Our kids need to be aware of that.</p>
<p>I feel the OP’s angst, and I would be very upset if it happened to my kid. After all, a 3.0 gpa is not achieved by partying, drinking, skipping class etc. That student has worked very hard and is very disappointed. </p>
<p>I want my kids to always have plan-B and plan-C, just in case. I hope this thread makes parents/students more aware of the importance of really being in touch with your advisor, and your intended department.</p>
<p>Asking questions is definitely a skill that has to be acquired, and you are right washdad, it probably comes easier to those with a sceptical attitude.</p>
<p>It’s really no different from a School trumpeting their med-school acceptance rate as 90%, but it’s up to you to uncover the fact that many hundreds of students were already weeded out in tough-grading procedures, or not written recommendation letters for the application process.</p>
<p>"mostly agree with you on this, but…</p>
<p>The problem is that learning how to ask the right questions takes time and a dedication to "</p>
<p>This what I meant in the second post. We get stuck on something we have to have and our rational brain shifts to park. It is better to view the situation as a walk away type, that is don’t covet something so badly that you can’t walk away from it. We tend to ask better questions when we don’t feel that want and need underneath. We’re less accepting, thus we process more to make a decision.</p>