Bad permanent record. How to fix it now?

June 12, 2009 8:48 PM

If someone has a 2002 college degree in Communications from a pretty good school, yet only achieved a 2.49 instead of the minimum of 2.5 now required to get into a teaching program, is it possible to go back and get another degree (in, say, history because the student had many courses in that subject) from the same or another school, just adding on the extra few courses and thus raising the GPA to an acceptable level? If not, is there any way to boost a low GPA now aithout spending another 4 years in college???
posted by mmf to Education (4 answers total)

Best answer: Ask the program advisor at the school in question. They'll tell you if it's black and white, or whether you can provide context for your past performance and augment it with subsequent accomplishments and references. In some cases, they may ask you to go do a semester of courses to prove that you can do the work. But check in with the program -- it really depends.
posted by acoutu at 9:03 PM on June 12, 2009

Best answer: Yes, ask. The rules on this sort of thing vary widely. I used to get a lot of students who had graduated from my college but were retaking History 110 to raise their GPA to get into some professional program. At my school the new grade replaced the old and your GPA was recalculated. If your school is the same you might only have to retake a course or two.

Good luck!
posted by LarryC at 9:55 PM on June 12, 2009

My gpa out of undergrad was not stellar... when I applied for a Master's program I was initially denied as a result of the GPA.

With three or four letters of recommendations from people respected in the field and documentation of a significant work history (and proof of a bit more maturity)... I appealed and was accepted into the program..

Before you do anything, follow acoutu's advice.
posted by HuronBob at 4:48 AM on June 13, 2009

Best answer: Former graduate coordinator here. Yes, ask. You may need to take just a few extra courses to raise your GPA, not do another degree.
posted by thomas j wise at 5:56 AM on June 13, 2009