GRADUATE STUDENTS OF NT

am1x90xnike said:

Think about it like this

You are admission officer to a grad program

Three kids applications walk in...idk if you've seen official transcripts, but it does show a "W" on your transcripts and the ones law school accepts show all the classes you've taken, dropped or not, it's called an "adjusted gpa."

You're looking, one kid has a 3.4, but a transcript full of Ws

another kid has a 2.9 but no Ws


W means you quit, it got hard so you quit, whether that was because of life or because of academic performance, both students should be assumed to have equal reasoning for dropping a class, one student didn't but the other student did ( we really don't need to go into how terrible life was for me in undergrad, yet I still stuck it out with all my classes).

So, all things being equal, after the last couple of years of students consistently dropping courses, thus inflating their GPAs becasue they just drop all the bad grades as they went along. This means, their GPA is a false representation of their academic performance, so when looking at applications, GPA isn't going to be as highly considered as it once was.

Taking the D means you are a man of higher character (on paper), one that faces ones mistakes instead of hiding them, which, at least on paper, character is a factor in admissions. There is no way to predict what a student would do when they are in school, or, the ultimate goal of schools, when they are an alumni in the world, but, if you are consistently quitting on things in undergrad, for whatever reason, then it doesn't reflect positively on your application.


If you have a bad gpa, or know you will have one, get a great LSAT/GRE score, get some work experience in a similar field and get the best recommendations from the highest authority you can find.


Like I said, I only know law school and what rationale they use in their admission programs, other programs may be different, but law schools don't look to kindly on Ws, despite what all of you PEERS say.

I'm trying to help, as always, dropping a class is not always the best look, in 2014, when everyone has a degree and students can drop their way to a better GPA, schools consider other factors, one of them being character, the ability to handle adversity.

Long story short, drop whatever classes you want, don't make me no nevermind. I'm only here to give advice on the journey I've went through and the experience I've gained, I'm going to be good, this is more for anyone else out there tripping because they have a bad GPA.

Click to expand...

Cedric Ceballos said:

Just got accepted into the program I applied for.

Feels pretty good

Click to expand...

JRAdagreat72 said:

Start school in a couple of weeks.

3rd time is the charm I suppose. I bombed my GREs but my statement of purpose got me in with conditions (Pass next 3 classes w/ B+ average). I still won a scholarship so I'm juiced about that too

Click to expand...

blkrstr21 said:

 
Im still debating on whether I should go to graduate school. Im going into my last semester this fall for my BA and ive thought about just going straight into grad school. But at this point, im sooooooooooooooooo done with school. Im just ready to not have homework and have to study for tests anymore

Im only 24 so I have some time to think about it

Click to expand...

ElderWatsonDiggs said:

I'm from the school of getting work experience...it makes all the difference in the world when it comes to getting jobs AFTER grad school. I mean the end game is getting a really great career correct?

This formula right here makes the most competitive candidate...get your Bachelors...hopefully you were mindful enough to obtain internships while you were in school...because if you did your chances of walking into a great job post Bachelors are better...work the job get the experience and build references. Apply to the best Grad schools possible...immediately start looking into internships after acceptance (since you typically only have one summer to work with). Graduate and get your dream job.


My work experience with a combination of my undergrad GPA allows me to be competitive for most schools even with a low GRE (don't follow my thinking, but to me the GRE and most standardized are dumb so I don't even try). Columbia University an Ivy League school was recruiting me hard...even when I told them my GRE sucked the admin counselor told me not to worry because of my all-around profile was impressive, I got accepted in to Texas A&M into two different grad programs with a weak GRE because of my work experience. University of Michigan was set to accept me but I chose to go back to A&M.

All that to say I believe you separate yourself from the pack with work experience. People will make the argument that you'll be younger by going straight through...that don't really matter as much as people think. Don't put an artificial timer on yourself, do what's gonna make the end game better.

Click to expand...

BeezyGotSole said:

They couldnt land jobs from a top engineering school? They must have messed up somewhere, or NYC just isnt a good place for the field. I know people landing jobs with no experience in the DMV.

If you start your job search early you should be fine. People start looking for jobs after graduation as if one is going to pop up within a month. IMO if you are on your grind in UG you will have an offer before graduation.

I say work and get experience then let your employer pay for your Master's.

Click to expand...

[COLOR=#red]Beezy is correct...you have people that think that because they are in a good school that the name alone is gonna get them in. It does in a few cases but for the most part you have to put something into it as well.

I graduated from a relatively unknown HBCU in North Carolina...but I was smart enough to hustle and get internships while still in undergrad which allowed me to have offers when I graduated. But see that's from the mentality of no handouts. Now I'm at a Top 2 school for Petroleum Geology that has one of the tightest networks in the nation The Association of Former Students also known as the Aggie Network. We are top 5 in the nation for placing at Fortune 500 corps. That's good and all, but I still hustle as if I'm at a relatively unknown school..because I can't solely depend on others doing for me.

At the end of the day for the most part..irregardless of school attended, the ones who put the most into professional development, networking, and self-merketing will usually be the most successful...and yeah your boys can't complain about not having a job if they didn't want to move.

People ask how I got into the Feds with just a Bachelors, when there are people with Masters Degrees and military experience that can't get in...well it was because I wasn't afraid to move. Right after school I got an internship with the Environmental Protection Agency...while there I networked and met a dude who had connecs...he asked me if I would move to Huntsville AL to work for a defense contractor because his buddy was recruiting...long story short in 3 weeks I relocated to Huntsville and started as a defense contractor...that then led to me going to Iraq with Special Operations, which then led me to getting a job with the Feds as a Fed Gov't employee doing stuff I can't talk about for the rest of my life But all that started because I wasn't afraid to move to a place I've never been for a job.

Like Ace Hood said you gotta Hustle Hard, no excuses. Just imagine where your boys could be career wise had they taken the positions.

Another thing guys, don't be so married to where you are at the time...Ok so there's no place like home, or you may be in the most exciting city (NYC), but sometimes you gotta make that sacrifice and go to a school that's not in your state, or take a job in Bumf***k Tennessee to get your foot in the door. You cannot have everything exactly when you want it...it's too tight out here. That's all I got for now.

[/COLOR]

ElderWatsonDiggs said:

[COLOR=#red]I'm from the school of getting work experience...it makes all the difference in the world when it comes to getting jobs AFTER grad school. I mean the end game is getting a really great career correct?

This formula right here makes the most competitive candidate...get your Bachelors...hopefully you were mindful enough to obtain internships while you were in school...because if you did your chances of walking into a great job post Bachelors are better...work the job get the experience and build references. Apply to the best Grad schools possible...immediately start looking into internships after acceptance (since you typically only have one summer to work with). Graduate and get your dream job.


My work experience with a combination of my undergrad GPA allows me to be competitive for most schools even with a low GRE (don't follow my thinking, but to me the GRE and most standardized are dumb so I don't even try). Columbia University an Ivy League school was recruiting me hard...even when I told them my GRE sucked the admin counselor told me not to worry because of my all-around profile was impressive, I got accepted in to Texas A&M into two different grad programs with a weak GRE because of my work experience. University of Michigan was set to accept me but I chose to go back to A&M.

All that to say I believe you separate yourself from the pack with work experience. People will make the argument that you'll be younger by going straight through...that don't really matter as much as people think. Don't put an artificial timer on yourself, do what's gonna make the end game better. [/COLOR]

Click to expand...

ElderWatsonDiggs said:

Beezy is correct...you have people that think that because they are in a good school that the name alone is gonna get them in. It does in a few cases but for the most part you have to put something into it as well.

I graduated from a relatively unknown HBCU in North Carolina...but I was smart enough to hustle and get internships while still in undergrad which allowed me to have offers when I graduated. But see that's from the mentality of no handouts. Now I'm at a Top 2 school for Petroleum Geology that has one of the tightest networks in the nation The Association of Former Students also known as the Aggie Network. We are top 5 in the nation for placing at Fortune 500 corps. That's good and all, but I still hustle as if I'm at a relatively unknown school..because I can't solely depend on others doing for me.

At the end of the day for the most part..irregardless of school attended, the ones who put the most into professional development, networking, and self-merketing will usually be the most successful...and yeah your boys can't complain about not having a job if they didn't want to move.

People ask how I got into the Feds with just a Bachelors, when there are people with Masters Degrees and military experience that can't get in...well it was because I wasn't afraid to move. Right after school I got an internship with the Environmental Protection Agency...while there I networked and met a dude who had connecs...he asked me if I would move to Huntsville AL to work for a defense contractor because his buddy was recruiting...long story short in 3 weeks I relocated to Huntsville and started as a defense contractor...that then led to me going to Iraq with Special Operations, which then led me to getting a job with the Feds as a Fed Gov't employee doing stuff I can't talk about for the rest of my life

But all that started because I wasn't afraid to move to a place I've never been for a job.

Like Ace Hood said you gotta Hustle Hard, no excuses. Just imagine where your boys could be career wise had they taken the positions.

Another thing guys, don't be so married to where you are at the time...Ok so there's no place like home, or you may be in the most exciting city (NYC), but sometimes you gotta make that sacrifice and go to a school that's not in your state, or take a job in Bumf***k Tennessee to get your foot in the door. You cannot have everything exactly when you want it...it's too tight out here. That's all I got for now.
 

Click to expand...

Fontaine said:

See... THIS is interesting...

I've never thought about this... Going get an intern BEFORE graduate school...

Seems like a very good idea... Might be tough though since some folks want you to be in between your program...

I might do this though...

Click to expand...

[COLOR=#red]Yes indeed Font, it can definitely help. You're going to be fine in the business world my dude.

Beezy congrats on the internship bro...they are great resume boosters. We'll talk bro, I was in Montana when we were to talk earlier and our schedule was crazy. But yeah Iraq and Afghanistan was crazy. In Iraq I felt protected because I was with some of the best trained killers on the planet..flying around in blacked out helicopters from place to place and driving bulletproof Suburbans . In Afghanistan it was more intel type stuff.[/COLOR]