Community college GPA and Chem grad school?

[faraday451]

Hi, I just have a quick question regarding Chemistry grad school admissions. If a student attended community college before transferring to a UC to finish a BS in chemistry, would chemistry grad schools look at both GPA's when considering them for admission? Basically, would a GPA of around 3.0 from a community college cause problems when applying to grad school, even in the UC GPA was 3.5 or higher? Thanks for any information!

 

[Dishsoap]

Hi, I just have a quick question regarding Chemistry grad school admissions. If a student attended community college before transferring to a UC to finish a BS in chemistry, would chemistry grad schools look at both GPA's when considering them for admission? Basically, would a GPA of around 3.0 from a community college cause problems when applying to grad school, even in the UC GPA was 3.5 or higher? Thanks for any information!

You will be required to submit transcripts from both schools, yes. The only evidence that I have for it "mattering" is anecdotal - my S/O failed out of college before returning to a different school and getting a 4.0. Despite having several publications, he was only accepted to 1/15 graduate schools. And failing out is quite different from a 3.0 (very, very different). So yes, it matters, but as to the extent, I'm not sure.

 

[Choppy]

What will probably play a more significant role are what the courses were at each institution than the grades in each. Admissions committees tend to care more about results in upper year physics course than they do in first year courses. That said, a GPA is still a GPA, and I think the default in most cases is to weight the grades only by the number of credit hours with equal weighting to each institution.

 

[Student100]

They will primarily look at upper division major GPA. I wouldn't worry too much about CC grades.

 

[faraday451]

Thanks for the replies, everyone!