How strong is my Grad school application despite 3.0 GPA?

uw9572
Sun, 25 Jun 2017 17:45:11 +0000

I have been looking at MA Political Science programs and have not been able to accurately gauge how strong my application would be. I graduated with a BA in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a 3.075 GPA. My major GPA is 3.1. My GPA remained pretty steady throughout college. My GPA in advanced level classes is 3.28.

I haven’t taken the GRE yet, but how much is my resume factored into my application? I worked 10-20 hours a week throughout my undergrad, with the past two years being for the UW division which conducts social research. I wrote for the school newspaper, had internships with a WI state senator (semester) and a grassroots political group which supports pro-public education policies (year), volunteered for the Democratic Party during the last election (albeit not much), and I also started my own student publication, but it has ceased operations as of now.

I also plan on taking a year off working as a substitute teacher in Wisconsin.

How high should I be aiming? I have a big fear of shooting my arrows too high and then completely missing (aka not getting accepted anywhere), but I also don’t want to shortchange myself.

Thanks so much for the help!

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