MPH applicant---low GPA but I have a reason

[sak91]

So I'm currently applying to MPH programs in Epidemiology for Fall 2014. Most of my applications are done and I'll be submitting in the next day or two. But now I'm getting super anxious about being rejected for sure.

My GPA is a whopping 2.5. Yeah, I know...However, it's mainly due to the fact that I had trouble concentrating during undergrad. I was involved in a car accident and was dealing with a minor case of post-traumatic stress. I talk about this in my personal statement.

Other than that my GREs are fine. 158 for Q and 153 for V.

I have tons of research experience. I currently work in clinical research under an epidemiologist. I've also done research for most of undergrad and was a co-author on a paper. I have community service and blah blah blah. So I'm basically good in this area.

Will they let my GPA slide or am I 100% going to be rejected?

\

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[NUUM4ward]

To sak91:

Your GPA won't be the end all. If you're going to write about your mental health in your personal statement, be sure to talk about in the sense of how you persevered/got through it rather than using it as an excuse.

Your work/research experience and ability to show quant. skills (>70% on Quant. section of GRE) are likely more valuable to an epid admissions committee. On top of that, proving you're passionate about public health through your personal statement and having good LORs are more important, too.

There were kids in my program who were told "We generally don't accept students with your GPA/GRE scores"...but because they had much stronger areas of their application, they were accepted and did well in the program.

Most faculty recognize the variation in rigor/workload/teaching styles/evaluation styles across schools that can have influence on GPAs.

If you want to apply to Brown, I say do it. Better to apply and get rejected (but hopefully accepted) than to wonder if you ever had a chance at all. Best of luck.

 

[member689]

I agree with NUUM4ward. The GPA isn't everything and you have tons of experiences and good GRE so I think they will look at the overall picture rather than just focus one area. Make sure your personal statement conveys why you want to do public health and epi and I am sure you will be fine. Good luck!

 

[sak91]

Thanks so much for your responses! That makes me feel a tiny bit better.

I hope that in my personal statement I didn't sound too whiney or used my health as an excuse. I basically just wrote about what happened and how I pushed through it because I wanted to go into public health no matter what. "I realized that nothing could stop be from obtaining my dream...." that's basically how I put it.

 

[BigRed_12]

Hey sak91:

I'm applying for fall 2014 as well. I've gotten acceptances at a few schools - including UMass - with a GPA of 2.735 (calculated by SOPHAS). It sounds like you have a more compelling justification for a low GPA than I did, and more relevant research experience, so I wouldn't aim lower than you want to just because of your GPA. In my personal statement I wrote one sentence about taking a medical leave of absence and switching majors, and spent the rest of that paragraph counterbalancing it with follow-up efforts.

I think the research experience and the especially the co-authorship is great to highlight, because it shows you can follow a project to completion.

You might also find that SOPHAS calculates your GPA differently. My actual undergrad GPA was 2.678, so SOPHAS gave me a bit of a boost.

Good luck!

 

[sak91]

^Thanks for the info. Maybe I'll see you at UMASS? Best of luck

 

[Dribble]

My GPA is a whopping 2.5. Yeah, I know...However, it's mainly due to the fact that I had trouble concentrating during undergrad. I was involved in a car accident and was dealing with a minor case of post-traumatic stress. I talk about this in my personal statement.

I applied to BU (1st choice...), UMASS, Drexel, GW, and Rutgers. I might apply to Brown but that will probably be silly.

Did the post-traumatic stress/car accident cause a noticeable change in your grades?, did you go from a 3.5 to 2.5? Just curious, didn't know that post-traumatic stress could be due to a car accident, sorry to hear about that.

 

[Yasmeen.Marie]

I am interested in applying for MPH programs, especially Global/Intl Health concentrations. My GPA is EXTREMELY LOW, 2.63 to be exact. I know those numbers probably made your eyes bleed lol. I am just looking for a little feedback and guidance


Undergrad School: Small Public University in Ohio
Undergrad GPA: 2.63
Major: international Relations
Minor: Marketing
-Studied Abroad in Morocco for 1 sem, also tutored non native English speaking students while abroad.
-Completed 2 summer internships with State of Ohio Job & Family Services.
- Participated in Americorps, SGA, various multicultural organizations.
-Participated in 1 Undergraduate research conference.
-Recently joined Medical Reserve Corps.
-Currently volunteering once a week preparing Nepalese clients for Citizenship test.
- I currently work at a non profit refugee resettlement agency as an Office Assistant.
- I also work as a part time youth & parent mentor, serving emotionally disturbed youth & parents.

I just started the application process on SOPHAS. I plan on taking the GRE in two months. Do you think I have a chance of getting accepted into a program?