What are graduate schools looking for?
There are five main factors that most institutions look for when selecting graduate students: academic records, personal statement, letters of recommendation, research experience (and/or clinical experience, if you’re applying to a clinical program), and match to the program/advisor.
Do grad schools care about first year?
They do look at grades from freshman year. But don’t be discouraged by that fact. Say you were able to maintain the rough GPA you had between your two later semesters, or a 3.67, for the rest of your college career. You’d graduate with a 3.49–3.5 GPA.
What grades do you need for grad school?
The most common GPA needed for grad school is 3.0, though exact grad school GPA expectations can vary a lot by program. Some schools do set strict cutoff GPAs, which generally range between 2.5 and 3.5, but you may be able to apply (and potentially get accepted!) even with a lower GPA.
Do grad schools look at individual grades?
Graduate schools will see your full undergraduate transcripts, and will look at individual grades. They will however care about how you did in a long list of classes. Of course research or work experience and references will also be important.
Is a 3.5 GPA good enough for grad school?
Most top-ranked graduate programs typically prefer a GPA of 3.5 or better. Exceptions to this rule occur, of course, but many students give up their quest to attend graduate school due to a low (3.0 or less) GPA.
Where can I go with a 2.0 GPA?
Safety Schools: Easier to Get IntoSchool NameLocationGPAVoorhees CollegeDenmark, SC2Metropolitan College of New YorkNew York, NY2.1Inter American University of Puerto Rico – Fajardo CampusFajardo, PR2Columbia CollegeCaguas, PR2
