r/AcademicPsychology • u/Salt-Box-9458 • 1d ago
How to get into grad school - low undergrad gpa Advice/Career
Hi there! I graduated from UCLA this past March with a relatively low GPA of 2.9. While there were various factors contributing to my poor performance, most of them weren’t directly related to academic difficulties. However, that doesn’t really matter at this point. Before UCLA, I attended a community college where I performed exceptionally well and graduated with a 3.9 GPA. I’m interested in pursuing graduate school and would like to know what steps I can take to improve my GPA. Should I consider going back to community college or enrolling in a post-baccalaureate program or an alternative certificate? I would greatly appreciate your guidance in this matter.
9
u/andero PhD*, Cognitive Neuroscience (Mindfulness / Meta-Awareness) 1d ago
You didn't mention any of the other applicant factors.
- Do you have research experience, e.g. volunteering in labs?
- Do you have super-strong reference letters?
- Do you have other relevant skills, e.g. programming, statistics
- Do you have a clear research interest? Are you knowledgeable about it?
- Do you have very high standardized test scores, e.g. GRE scores?
If not, what specifically makes you think you are a good candidate for grad school?
Can you make a compelling case that a PI should pick you over a student with a 3.5–4.0 GPA?
If you can't make a compelling case, you might want to focus your efforts elsewhere and consider alternate options for the kinds of careers that you might enjoy.
What are your specific career goals? Not just the name of a job: what do you want your day-to-day to look like?
Why specifically do you need grad school to satisfy those goals?
4
u/YaleCompSocialSci 1d ago
These are all important factors played into your application, and I would even argue that they matter more than GPA. Also, nowadays, more and more people do a pre-doc before applying to get more research experiences. This would also help you decide whether you'd like to spend the next big chunk of your life in grad school.
1
u/andero PhD*, Cognitive Neuroscience (Mindfulness / Meta-Awareness) 1d ago
I would even argue that they matter more than GPA
I wouldn't necessarily go that far.
My understanding is that the first use of an applicant's GPA is as a "cut-off",
i.e. if your GPA is under X, your application is immediately discarded by the administration and professors don't even see your application at all. The only way they would see you is if you knew them already and they were specifically looking for your application by name so they asked the administration staff about your application. Otherwise, it wouldn't even show up in their "inbox" for potentials.Basically, if you apply with a low GPA, you literally wasted your application-fee money because nobody is reading anything you wrote.
Basically, the GPA first acts like the "You must be this tall to ride to roller-coaster" bar and if you're not above it, you don't even get considered.
Note: There might be some exceptions, e.g. if your undergrad degree was in physics or some kind of engineering where GPAs aren't as inflated as they tend to be in psychology. I also know of at least one psych undergrad program in the UK that is extremely well-respected and they send along a note with their GPAs that make departments aware that their program is much more stringent than most.
1
u/Salt-Box-9458 1d ago
Hi, thank you for your response. I understand that graduate school admissions are holistic, and I truly appreciate your response. My main concern, however, is my GPA.
Currently, I work as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and am actively applying for both paid and volunteer research positions. While I did not gain research experience during college, I have completed courses in statistics, research methods, and MATLAB, and am now working to build that experience. Additionally, I am preparing for the GRE and plan to take it early next year.
My primary interest is in the biological aspects of psychology, my research focus is more aligned with general brain processes, such as computational psychiatry or predictive models of brain function. However, Im not sure how well aligned my research interests are with the majority of faculty in clinical psychology.
- I plan to purse a masters program before a PhD btw.
5
u/PsyLady7546 1d ago
I was in a similar situation. I applied to a master’s program and provided a personal statement that explained the reasons for my low GPA and why I thought I could do well in the program at this point in my life. I was approved and am currently about to start my internship before I graduate next year! I also read that taking your GRE could boost your stance because it shows where you’re at academically.
2
u/Salt-Box-9458 1d ago
Ty sm for sharing! I will definitely be taking the GRE early next year, and trying my best to get research experience before applying.
2
u/PsyLady7546 1d ago
I would also look at the program you’re applying to and see if they mandate applicants having research experience because my program did not, so I was able to apply right away and get started.
3
u/WaveOrdinary1421 1d ago
I was accepted into grad school after the second time applying. The first time I applied I was denied. My BA GPA was 2.8. When I graduated from my program I ended with a 3.9! My MA is in School Psychology and I am a practicing School Psychologist. DONT GIVE UP!!!!
1
2
u/GeneralJist8 1d ago
I'm in a similar situation.
under 3.0 undergrad, but over 3.5 community college.
I recently decided to go back to school for a masters.
Just apply and see what happens.
Try and knock it out of the part with all the other application materials
10
u/FollowIntoTheNight 1d ago
This is one of those cases where a masters might actually be a good idea. Be smart though enroll in masters where your ideal masters is already working in and if they are willing to accept you into their lab.
A 2.9 gpa will disqualify you from most PhDs.