As the title says, I transferred last semester to a high ranked university, and consequently found myself struggling to do well, and I ended up with a GPA below a 3.0. My parents were quite upset by this (as was I) and they’ve seen how stressed and umhappy I’ve become with school and the difficulty of my classes. As a result, they’ve been urging me to transfer back to my first school, since they think that the high GPA I had there would be beneficial over getting a low one at the school I’m at now. I’m a business student as well, and my low GPA has definitely already hindered me since I don’t make the cut off for many internship applications now. What should I do? Should I transfer back? I’m a junior at the moment, and I honestly don’t think I’ll do that well this semester either. My first school was a decent university as well, although lower ranked than the one I’m at now. But I’m just worried at the fact I’d be going back after my junior year.
It’s too late at night for me to be doing math well, but if you passed 1st semester well enough to still be in good academic standing, how did 1 bad semester tank 4 semesters of a “high GPA”?
Challenges in moving school are familiar territory- but they wouldn’t have taken you if they didn’t think that you could do the work. And not only were you changing school, you were moving into higher level classes in your major- when the work and expectations can jump up. So, what are you doing now, to change how you are doing? Are you:
- going to every class, well prepared (reading the assignment before the class, with assignments completed)
- using the support resources available: meeting with Profs/TAs, going to writing / math labs / tutors etc
- reviewing assignments / assessments that didn't go well to figure out why they didn't go well
- joining or making study groups
Whether you transfer back or not, this semester matters, and it is flying by.
Sorry, I might be misunderstanding your first comment, but I had a high GPA at my first school, and then transferring to my new school, I have a low GPA at this school after last semester (which was my first semester here).
And yes, I’ve been doing my best, but my classes have quotas for each grade, meaning that the top 5% get A’s, then next 10% get B+, etc. I tried my best, but my best wasn’t as good as my peers so I didn’t do that well last semester.
So I’m just conflicted now. Should I transfer back to have that high GPA or just stay at a higher rank school while struggling to maintain a decent GPA?
You are in a “high ranked” university where all your classes have a curve that keeps 85% of students at a C or below? Color me sceptical. But- I just took a peek at your other posts and it looks as though you moved from GWU to UVa, and tbf UVa doesn’t have the same kind of grade inflation at GW: Deans List at UVa is a (iirc) a 3.4, v. 3.75 which should tell you something- and might help you set your expectations.
I’m still struggling with the math. I don’t know what your “high GPA” was, so let’s say a 3.5 for the 4 semesters at your old school and a 2.5 for the one semester at your new school. That still leaves you with a 3.3 GPA. It takes going down to a 3.0 x 4 semesters + a 2.0 for one semester to get you to a GPA under 3.0. What do you consider a “high GPA”.
When you say you are ‘doing your best’ - are you doing everything listed above? what works in one environment doesn’t always work in another, and adapting is key.
If you don’t like where you are, and want to go back, then treat this year as a ‘study abroad’ and apply to go back.
Sorry I was probably inaccurate to what I wrote, but it’s along the lines of most people will get a grade in the B range.
Ah I see where your confusion comes from. My GPA from my old school was wiped, so I’m basically starting over with my GPA from last semester.
My only concerns is that would a degree from UVA be better than one from GW, despite to the GPA difference I had? At GW I had a 3.8, and here I have a sub 3.0. My issue with this is applying to internships and jobs since I don’t meet the cutoff for GPA requirements for them now. And if I want to apply for grad school, having a low GPA hinders my chances as well. But if I went back to GW, I would likely have to stay another year in order to finish my major classes.
Your 3.8 isn’t wiped. UVa might not use it for their purposes, but it is still part of your GPA, and you have your GW transcript to back it up. If you are applying for internships (other than at UVa itself) you get to use your whole GPA.
Get your GPA up, obviously. If you can get a 3.8 at GW you can get a 3+ at UVa. Treat your first semester as an adjustment to a new system and put your back into being one of the “most people” who end up with a B.*
I don’t know what your finances are but keep that element in mind as well.
*In my world somebody who wants to succeed in business should be developing all the drive and determination and stick it out-iveness that you need to do well in business, and should be aiming to be the comeback kid and end up on the Dean’s list. If it’s just self-doubt, push through it. If it’s just that it is harder than you expected, push through it. If it’s other/bigger stuff do what you need to do (there may be other factors that I am not aware of, and I don’t want to beat up on you).
@collegemom3717 That is not how it works. The OP is correct that when internships ask for cumulative GPA, he has to report the GPA on his UVA transcript. He doesn’t get to recalculate a separate GPA that combines both his UVA and GW GPA and report that. What he can do is report a GPA for both schools separately, but the low UVA GPA will be prominent and likely prevent him from getting interviews. So I do understand his parents’ thinking.
Agree that he has to report both, and that his 1st semester at UVa (as the most recent) hurts disproportionately, But it’s not wiped: he gets to report both.
Yes, so far it’s only be hurting me. I’ve gotten offers from places where I didn’t have to report my GPA, but all the companies that I’ve really wanted to go after have that cut off and I either don’t hear back or get immediately rejected for an interview when I put down both my GPAs.
@itsgettingreal21 Would love to hear your two cents on my situation if you don’t mind.
" I’ve gotten offers from places where I didn’t have to report my GPA"
OK, so the deal is that you do have offers, just not from places you think you like better. Take one of those offers that you do have, do well in your internship, collect some rave letters of recommendation, and get on with your life.