Can I Get Into Grad School with a 2.8 GPA?

[Cyrus]

I was considering only the OP case because of the assumed restrictions of the thread. Since it is too late for OP it is a catch 22 for him and I figured he needed different advice.

I'm afraid that this late in the game, there really isn't much advice one can give.

 

[j93]

He could work full-time school part-time raise his GPA and try to kill the physics GRE.

 

[Cyrus]

He could work full-time school part-time raise his GPA and try to kill the physics GRE.

Given his GPA, that's very, very ambitious. To go from a 2.8 GPA to "Killing the GRE" is a leap. Hopefully he does, but he's really going to have some luck and some hard work.

 

[j93]

Doing really well on the PGRE doesn't require much other than work and catering your work towards the exam. 50% of the exam is a lot like the AP Physics B multiple choice. The quantum isn't too hard (too many expectation values questions that are braindead easy). I am pretty sure given a few months and a kid in AP Physics C/B I could get him too score in the 700 range. With a college student and more time don't think it is unreasonable to get high 800's and above. A decent amount of ones ability to score high on that exam after the simple concepts is based on being able to do problems quickly (learning tricks like boundary values,limiting cases). It involves a whole lot of catering to the exam what that is what he is going to do to raise his score efficiently. If the peoples republic of China can test prep their way to 990 someone in the US can. If he gets 800+PGRE he should be able to get in somewhere because he just beat out a lot of 3.4+GPA physics major at a standardized exam.

 

[Monocles]

If only 10% of physics majors are participating I think you might need great grades to receive a co-op unless the OP knows someone the whole point was that the OP didnt have great grades so he can't get the great internship that pays him enough to live on while working part-time hours. Its a catch 22 situation he needs good grades to make the money to be able to work part-time and live. That is why he has to work full-time.

If he was a high school student having trouble getting into a college and paying for college I wouldn't advise him to apply to a Full-Scholarship program based on him being a National Merit Scholar to get him out of that bind.

It's mostly speculation, but I think 10% of physics majors co-oping is a result of most physics majors not seeking a co-op job than needing a great GPA (since most physics classes are only taught once per year its a rather inconvienient schedule to have). I only think this based off of other physics majors I know not even realizing it was possible to co-op as a physics major.

 

[daveyinaz]

You could easily make an argument for elitism if you consider that implicitly only top 120 programs are considered when the realistic portrayal you talk about is given.

I couldn't have said it better myself...

To G01:

It is true...a lot of these threads have someone who wants to get into grad school...then mostly one of the heavy posters on these forums tell us how if you can't get a high GPA, high GRE score, three perfect recommendations, not to mention 40 hours of volunteer community service a week, etc...then you are a failure in life and can't be a part of graduate school because you are not competitive enough, not dedicated enough, not smart enough, and the list goes on and on...

clearly there are people who oppose this train of thought because either they are an example themselves of someone who can achieve their goals despite the condescending undertones of people who have "been there" and "done that" or maybe they know people who have had 2.9 GPA's and still made it in a top 50 school...

it also stands that based on what small information I could gather about some of the people giving advice about admissions criteria and such...have no foundation in which to draw from being as they are still undergrads or living in the UK and talking about US schools and so forth...so how about before claiming a "realistic portrayel" you post exactly what credential you have in posting such glorious advice...maybe then credibility would be given...

My advice to the OP...learn to filter out the useful advice...keep yourself grounded...do good in school and don't buy in too much to the hype...some of these people sound like the types that would tell an anorexic girl she is too fat for television..