GPA: 2.96
GRE: Verbal 165 & Math 163
I routinely selected the most difficult teachers throughout my undergraduate as they were always ones who best knew the topics I was taking. Plus, I took a bunch of foreign language and philosophy courses as well, so I’d always have 18 credits.
Would explaining my teacher selection help? I was also battling depression throughout the majority of my undergraduate, would that be something I should explain as well?
My hopes are to attend Paris School of Economics or Toulouse School of Economics. Do I have a chance?
NO. Do not explain your depression or that will be an immediate rejection. Graduate school is very tough. If you are prone to depression your risk is higher than it would be if you did not go to grad school. And risk of not completing is elevated, something that is worrisome to graduate programs.
I’ve pretty much overcome it and it is no longer an issue. So, don’t explain it. Gotcha.
Do I have a chance with admission to a good program those scores though?
@Tikaratt Would depend on the other elements in your application. I’d round up the .4 points and put “3.00” on your app so it looks better. If you have stunning LoR’s and extremely innovation research history and proposals that no one has even thought of doing, I’d say you have a chance at getting into a top 15 and above grad program.
Go look at colleges like Hampshire and Bard and you’ll see the students profiles. These colleges regularly admit grads to programs like Harvard, Yale, MIT, etc. Those are the students top grad schools really look for. The all-rounder really doesn’t fare well unless they’re great enough in a few subjects to really focus on one and run with it. Grad schools want specificity. They will give a little slack on GPA if it is a B or above if the other components truly speak innovation.
DO NOT. This is a LIE.
@bodangles The .4 points don’t signify much, especially since OP has obviously learned a lot in departments of reasoning and was able to score highly on her GRE. If we’re focusing on the level of education the applicant has, points do nothing other than say they missed a few details on some tests in class, or osmething to that extent.
So you can report a 2400 SAT if you got a 2310? No problem, that’s the difference of just a few questions. You learned enough for a 2310, so that’s good enough for a 2400 too.
…No. It’s a lie. If they ask for your GPA to two decimal points, OP has a 2.96, not a 3.00. One decimal point, you might be able to make an argument for it. Not 3.00.
@okon2122 It doesn’t matter, you never round your GPA up, ever. It is lying and is considered submitting a fraudulent application. It would result in instant rejection, since the grad school will receive OP’s official transcript later (it would be obvious that this wasn’t a simple typo).
@bodangles I would say SAT is different since it depends on 100 or so questions in one sitting, not a culmination over four years. We must look at the processes. Most teachers test minute details. About a quarter of your time in undergrad is spent on things usually not used in grad school, especially with something like economics, of which doesn’t utilize an interdisciplinary approach as opposed to something like literature. But AdComs want what they want, and if you’ll get rejected as a result then don’t do it.
I would report your actual GPA. The grad school will all get your college transcript and IMO it seems better not to give any appearance of stretching the truth.
Beyond the GPA rounding bit, thanks for the insight @okon2122.
Anyone else? I’m not going to be rounding my GPA, so let’s keep this thread away from that topic.
Also look at St Johns College. One of the top schools admitting students to graduate institutions for PhD work-- prestigious unis too. Think Yale, Emory, UT Austin Law.
Explaining illness is not an immediate rejection. I also dealt with some mood disorder difficulties in undergrad that weakened my grades; one of my recommenders addressed it in her letter, and I got in everywhere I applied (and won several fellowships while in graduate school). You can certainly mention illness as a factor in low grades, but it has to be done delicately. Number one, you have to strike an upbeat tone - 1-2 sentences that explain the duration and impact of the illness, and 1-2 sentences that redirect and discuss how you are better now and how those grades are not indicative of your potential. All the better if you can give them some evidence (i.e. “My grades in sophomore and first semester of junior year are not reflective of my potential, but you’ll see that my GPA for my last three semesters - after I’d addressed my illness - is a 3.6.”
All the better if you can get a recommender to address it in a letter.
Explaining teacher selection, however, will not help. Everyone is supposed to select the best possible professors/teachers.
Your GRE scores are good, but they are not outstanding enough that they completely outweigh a GPA. I don’t think GRE scores outweigh GPA at most places.
Also, this is the graduate school forum - I’m pretty sure OP is looking for a graduate program (presumably one in economics). St. John’s is primarily an undergrad school, and only offers two MAs, neither of which are in economics.