How do I bring up my grades, I study, but I feel like It doesnt work for me. I want to go to grad school?

Question

- current gpa is 2.9

- i want to bring it up to a 3.6

- im just ending my freshman year, is it possible

* any suggestions, would be much appreciated

Answer 1

Since you still have three years left, there is still time for a dramatic turnaround. I'm not sure how your school's grading system works, but let's use a fairly common grading scale:

A=4.0

A-=3.7

B+=3.3

B=3.0

B-=2.7

C+=2.3

C=2.0

C-=1.7

D+=1.3

D=1

F=0

Right now, you're sitting between a B and a B-. Let's assume you have 5 classes per semester and 6 semesters to go (2 semesters per year left). That means, you have 30 classes left in your undergraduate career.

To get a 3.6 GPA by the end of your undergrad career, you need 144 total grade points (GPA x Total Amount of Classes = 3.6 x 40 = 144). After your first year, you took 10 classes and got 29 grade points, giving you a 2.9 GPA. That means, with 3 years left, you need to still collect 115 grade points (144-29 = 115) to get a 3.6 GPA by the time you graduate. Furthermore, to get 115 grade points, you'll need to average a 3.83 GPA per class you take, for the remaining 30 classes (115/30 = 3.83).

NOTE: To get the actual numbers you need, you'll need to play around with the amount of classes and the grading scale to fit what your school offers.

That being said, 3.83 is fairly high. Basically, according to my assumptions, you'll need an A in every class you take from here on out.

Here are a few tips:

1) Anything above a 3.3 is respectable. Start by aiming for that.

2) Grad schools care about GPA, but keep in mind that they also care about graduate test scores, research (if applicable) , and work experience. Make sure to shine in those areas to compensate for a low GPA.

3) If it's just your freshman year, then you likely only took courses in generic, core classes, instead of courses in your major. Keep in mind that overall GPA and major GPA are two very different things. I know tons of people who have a low overall GPA and a great major GPA. Having this discrepancy speaks to the level of interest and skill that you have in your concentration. If this is the case for you, don't sweat too much. Worry about showing your skills in your intended major. Grad schools care much more about your aptitude in your specialized field.

Good luck!