<p>My close friend has never failed to place a student he believes in into a top grad program in his area even if the GPA is somewhat low. Personal recommendations and research accomplishment trump almost anything else.</p>
<p>Many years ago I was admitted to what at the time was the #1 program in my area at a selective private graduate focused institution (any guesses?). I never really completed a full 4 years of undergraduate college, I was awarded a degree through an “alternative” degree program. My undergrad GPA from all sources was somewhere around 2.2. Students who could not get into the program often enrolled in a multidisciplinary MA program to “prove themselves” to the faculty of my program. Many were from top undergrad schools, including Ivy’s, with stellar GPAs and high GRE scores, all had been turned down. It was then that I learned that GPA and even high test scores were not always needed if a key faculty member went to bat for you. I saw this over and over again, and found it to be the case throughout the years. While it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a high GPA, if one sees that the GPA may not be there, then one needs to show the skill, passion, and dedication to the field in other ways that will attract attention and support.</p>