Ask AdmissionsConsultants

[Joyce Wang]

Hi Heather,

Thank you very much for your response.

Joyce

[Alan Carroll]

Hi Heather!

I switched my major to political science after bombing pre med and realizing it wasn’t for me. My GPA since is about a 3.8 and before it was 2.5. Will the 2.5 prevent me from getting into a good grad school program for polisci?

Thanks!

Alan Carroll

[hmacneill]

Thanks for your post. I’m afraid the 2.5 is going to be a tough barrier. You will need to focus on graduate schools that are a bit more flexible in their admission criteria. You should also be clear and address why your grades are low – take every opportunity you can to “explain” your story of pre-med being a mistake for you (not making excuses though). Highlight your recent grades. Be sure to select Letters of recommendation from professors that will directly address and speak to your academic performance and potential. Your GRE scores will be critical as well.
Good luck in your studies.
Heather

[huu hoang]

Hi everybody 🙂
I am a new member, currently i am a final year student. I am seeking for a msc in financial engineerng/quant finance. My undergraduate GPA is 3.55, with 4 internships exp (got 3 months advisory intern in PwC). I also passed CFA level I, my GRE score is 170/158/3.5 (Quant/verbal/AWA), 7.5 IELTS. I am preparing for the GRE subject (math) in September to strengthen my profile, and i also got a C++ certificate of Baruch college. I dont have any research, and my extracurricular activity is zero :(. Beside, i got 2 LoR from a professor in Cal State and a doctor in Baltimore.
My target are Cornell, NYU, UCLA and Chicago, but i think my profile is not good enough to get into these schools. I really need advice from everyone, please suggest me a way to boost up my profile. Thank you guys so much 🙂

[AdmissionsConsultants]

Hi Huu and thanks for your inquiry.

The “generic” advice I’d give you would be to delve into some additional extracurriculars, acquire some full-time work experience and continue to explore your interests in this field including looking at specific programs to learn more about how they differentiate themselves.

If you want to assemble a detailed, actionable plan, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1.800.809.0800 and we’ll be happy to talk to you.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

AdmissionsConsultants
1.800.809.0800

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[huu hoang]

Thank you for your advice :). I am a student in Asia so it is not really convenience for me to call directly to the US by phone. Are there any other ways to contact with Admissions Consultants (for example skype,viber…)? Thank you so much for your help 🙂

[AdmissionsConsultants]

Hi Huu Hoang,

Our email is info@admissionsconsultants.com. We keep evening and weekend hours by appointment and we talk to many Asian applicants via phone.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

AdmissionsConsultants
1.800.809.0800

Keep up with us on:

[Deb Zook]

I’d like to apply for a Ph.D. in economics and wanted some input. I had a 3.9 in undergrad at UCLA and I currently at UC Irvine for my masters. Their masters program is designed to lead to a Ph.D.

I believe I’m doing well and I’ve been encouraged to apply for the UCI Ph.D. I like UCI but want to explore my options. Am I going to have any issues with recommendations for other programs? How have others dealt with this?

[hmacneill]

Thanks for your post. I think you are asking about how to ask your current UCI advisors to write letters to other programs? First, I think you are smart to look around at other PhD programs and in my experience, most professors/faculty/advisors appreciate a student that is exploring his/her options. I would suggest that you are honest – that UCI is very appealing and you would like to attend but that you are applying to a few programs to make sure you have options. You might also consider adding a letter or two from your undergraduate institution/faculty. Good luck with your studies.
Heather

[LaDonna Fisher]

My transcript is a mess. I changed majors a few times. My final GPA is below 3. I did earn a 3.4 in my online MBA program. Will that help me get into a good PhD business program?

[hmacneill]

Hi LaDonna. Thanks for your post. As you must suspect, PhD programs are very competitive. Certainly, they will consider your MBA GPA – but that will not erase your undergraduate grades I’m afraid. It would be wise to select a wide range of programs as some will not look past the lower GPA and some may not take your online MBA as direct evidence of potential. To help overcome low grades – you will need exemplary letters of recommendation and a breadth of work that shows your competence and readiness for a PhD program. Good luck.
Heather

[Jill Dunn]

I want to go for a masters in sociology. I have a 3.35 from FSU. Is this high enough to bother taking the GRE?

[AdmissionsConsultants]

I want to go for a masters in sociology. I have a 3.35 from FSU. Is this high enough to bother taking the GRE?

Hi Jill and thanks for your inquiry.

These programs use many factors when evaluating applicants. Your transcript is just one of them. Assuming you’re not only considering the very top programs, there is no reason why your UGPA alone should keep you from taking the GRE and applying to the programs you feel best fit your particular profile.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

AdmissionsConsultants
1.800.809.0800

Keep up with us on:

[STL Fire Dog]

I applied for a PhD program at a major well known university.
The department itself accepted me.
But the dean of admission denied my application.
What could be the reason?
Have you heard of such a case before?
I believe there is case of discrimination here against me.

[AdmissionsConsultants]

I applied for a PhD program at a major well known university.
The department itself accepted me.
But the dean of admission denied my application.
What could be the reason?
Have you heard of such a case before?
I believe there is case of discrimination here against me.

Hi and thanks for your inquiry.

Unfortunately, only the insiders at the program and the school will know for certain what the reasons were. My best conjecture is that the department really liked you but the dean was concerned you didn’t meet some admissions standard for the graduate school.

I would certainly encourage you to reach out to the admissions office on a fact-finding mission and ask for feedback on what you may be able to do to improve your chances as a re-applicant.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

AdmissionsConsultants
1.800.809.0800

Keep up with us on:

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