Having C's on your transcript.

[danzgymn86]

So how much of a death sentence is it to have a C on one's transcript?
Basically, I have a couple of them on my transcript. When I entered, I wanted to be a business major and so I took all the business pre-requisites and did crappy. I have a C+ in one hard Psych class (Learning and Behavior) but I can re-take that, though the grade for it won't be in by the time I apply.
But I have C's in:
Math for Business and Economics
Microeconomics
Communications
and then Learning.

Now, those business classes were all lower-level classes.
My GPA with those counted is a 3.161, without them counted, it's a 3.48. So HUGE difference. Those business classes really cost me.

Also, taking into consideration that they are all lower level, if you calculate only my upper-level GPA, it is a 3.47 (with the C+ in Learning..it would be 3.67 without it) and probably will be closer to a 3.69 after this semester(still with the C+ in Learning, would be 3.81 without it). Psych is a 3.4 but will probably be a 3.7 the way things are going this semester (still with the C+ in Learning).
Without the C+, the Psych would be a 3.67 now and would be a 3.85 without it later.)

So I feel like those few Cs are dragging me down a lot but there is no way I am re-taking them all, especially since they are useless to me now that I am not a Business major.

So basically, my Psych GPA is VERY salvagable, as is my upper-level GPA. Especially if I re-take Learning.
However, I feel like my cumulative is shot because I can't make up those three Cs on it. Is that something I should address in my personal statement maybe? Or would that draw attention to it and I should leave it alone?

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[Therapist4Chnge]

Make sure to be very strong in your other areas, and be prepared to explain your GPA, I'd even mention it in your personal statement. That being said, it happens. I got a couple of C's (Javascript anyone?! y no me gusta espanol!), and it didn't tank me....I just had to explain that they were in other disciplines I wanted to learn about.

-t

 

[RayneeDeigh]

No worries. I had absolutely horrible first year marks since I was a chem/microbiology major. I'm talking two C's, a C+, and two B's. Then I got a C+ in Physiological Psych later. Luckily I had taken anatomy and physiology through the zoology department and had a B+ and A, so I was able to explain that it wasn't a matter of me not understanding the material. My Psych GPA is still really high and my overall isn't bad (~ 3.55 now). There's always a way around stuff.

Make sure you have really good GREs and your GPA won't matter as much.

 

[paramour]

Pfft, I have a few D's/F's from my first year of college several years ago because I never bothered showing up for class, or I would show up late and the frakkin' door would be locked. And unfortunately attendance was a large enough component to tank my grade even with the A's & B's on exams. A few C's aren't necessarily going to kill you IF you show that you perform well in others. Just my $0.02.

 

[PhDshallsee]

I really needed this thread. This semester has been, by far, the worst semester of my life. I'd never anything lower than a B+ up until now, and I'll be getting a few C's in Biology and Math this semester (NOT my thing). I'm uberly stressed about grad school now, even with a 3.74 before this semester.

 

[RayneeDeigh]

I really needed this thread. This semester has been, by far, the worst semester of my life. I'd never anything lower than a B+ up until now, and I'll be getting a few C's in Biology and Math this semester (NOT my thing). I'm uberly stressed about grad school now, even with a 3.74 before this semester.

The good news about GPAs is that they fluctuate pretty easily. I raised mine from 2.5 to 3.5 in my second year. I can't see yours dipping much below 3.5 with just two C's. Just make sure you get a pretty high GRE and you can stop stressing!

 

[chaos]

haha I got a C in intro psychology. I don't know how much that will affect me, but since I was 15 years old and have gotten A's or occasionally B's in every psych class since, I don't think it'll matter too much. I'd say it's the same with your situation. They may be a little turned off by your overall GPA, but when they see the low grades are in non psych, non science classes they'll probably be more forgiving.

 

[nononora]

I believe grad schools also take the quality of your undergraduate institution into account. If you're getting a 4.0 at a community college vs a 3.5 from a quality institution, then the applicant from the quality institution will not be at a disadvantage. Or so says the director of the graduate program where I went for my undergrad, who confirmed that this was a general consensus among grad schools. (Such bad sentence structure!)

danzgymn86---> If you're applying next year, then you still have ample time to get your GPA up! I did horribly in my first semester (less than 2.5 if I remember correctly) which brought my overall GPA down so I asked a professor who was writing a recommendation for me to mention it. Something to the tune of "an unfortunate semester where applicant had to get used to the workload. Not counting this semester, GPA would have been significantly higher" etc. Study hard, stop partying and you'll be fine

 

[Quynh2007]

Study hard, stop partying and you'll be fine

I'd like to stay study smarter...that way you can still party