Schools Grad school question - GPA, deadlines, etc LOTS OF FUN STUFF

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The discussion centers on the challenges of applying to graduate school, particularly regarding GPA considerations and application timing. The individual has a cumulative GPA of 3.17, but a stronger GPA of 3.41 when considering the last 60 credit hours, and 3.67 when excluding a particularly poor semester. There is a question about whether graduate schools typically focus on the last 60 hours of coursework, which is confirmed as common practice, but it's advised to address any academic struggles in the application. The applicant is contemplating whether to apply before or after the Fall 2007 semester, weighing the potential GPA improvement against the urgency of submitting applications, especially since many schools have rolling deadlines. Additionally, the applicant lacks research experience but has a demanding internship and potential recommendations from professors, which could strengthen their application.
FrogPad
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Grad school question - GPA, deadlines, etc... LOTS OF FUN STUFF!

I have one year left of school. Soon, I will be applying to grad school. My first ~1 year of school I did not do very well. I was at that time a Computer Science student, and I really just hated my classes, the math, physics, etc... Something changed, and I soon found that I loved the few engineering classes that I took. I switched majors to EE, and my grades have done well ever since.

However, some of those CompSci classes share requirements of the EE department. Since I did horrible as a CS student, those classes still follow me in the EE department :( They haunt me !


As it is, I currently have a 3.17 cumulative GPA. If I only look at the last ~60 hours (not exactly 60 as it includes the semester (a bad one) that allows for >=60 hours to be taken), then I have a 3.41 GPA. If I go back the last 55 hours (this takes away the one bad semester) I have a 3.67 GPA.

Is it typically the case that graduate schools ONLY factor the last 60 hours into what they consider the GPA? The school I currently go to does this (a state school). I was relieved to see this, but would love if someone could further clarify on what this means.

Also, when should I apply to grad school for Fall 2008? A lot of schools I am looking at have a rolling deadline. I would imagine the sooner I get it in the better. Here is my dilemma though.

If I can wait it out one more semester (i.e. take Fall 2007 courses), this would give me one more semester to get my grades up. This would also effectively bump away that one bad semester I mentioned. If I just assume that grad schools look at the last 60 hours, then this is what it breaks down to.

1) Apply BEFORE Fall 2007 semester is over. GPA (last 60 hours) -> 3.41 GPA
2) Apply AFTER Fall 2007 semester is over. GPA (last 60 hours) -> 3.67 + average of GPA for Fall 2007

Other notes:
- I have ZERO research experience :(
- I have a very demanding internship (not a big named company, but we deal with Boeing, Honeywell, and GE Aviation (formerly Smiths Aerospace) on a regular basis - it is an outsource company)
- I could definitely get some recommendations from at least two professors who know me decently (I know them better than just getting an A in their class)


Thanks so much!
 
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FrogPad said:
Is it typically the case that graduate schools ONLY factor the last 60 hours into what they consider the GPA? The school I currently go to does this (a state school). I was relieved to see this, but would love if someone could further clarify on what this means.

This is usually the case, but you should definitely discuss your bad semester, and highlight to them the points you made to us.
 
Hey, I am Andreas from Germany. I am currently 35 years old and I want to relearn math and physics. This is not one of these regular questions when it comes to this matter. So... I am very realistic about it. I know that there are severe contraints when it comes to selfstudy compared to a regular school and/or university (structure, peers, teachers, learning groups, tests, access to papers and so on) . I will never get a job in this field and I will never be taken serious by "real"...
Yesterday, 9/5/2025, when I was surfing, I found an article The Schwarzschild solution contains three problems, which can be easily solved - Journal of King Saud University - Science ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT https://jksus.org/the-schwarzschild-solution-contains-three-problems-which-can-be-easily-solved/ that has the derivation of a line element as a corrected version of the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein’s field equation. This article's date received is 2022-11-15...

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