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Bottom line, I didn't want the OP to think the general situation described by the poster with the fellowship was some kind of unattainable fantasy only had by the lucky few. Taking graduate level coursework without being matriculated is a common strategy, as is having an employer fund all or part of a masters (whether its a fellowship or not). It can be done. He shouldn't get stuck on the word fellowship and miss the big picture.
We are talking about someone with too low of a GPA to even get into grad school. Academic or employer fellowships require a history of strong academic work. (And masters fellowships, even from employers, are extremely rare and only had by the very talented few.)
The problem with getting an employer pay is that employers almost uniformly require being in a degree program. The OP does not have the record at this time to get into a degree program. OP's employer might pay for a post-bac certificate problem, but it is going to also be a lucky break to get an employer to pay for non-degree post-bac coursework not leading to a degree. Fortunately, I think the OP is seeking graduate work in finance and already works in finance (?). That makes it easier to get the employer to pay than doing post-bac classes completely outside the employer's industry.
undergrad GPA low (finance major)
grad school seems hopeless, so how about a graduate certificate (4 classes)
applied to graduate certificate
denied admission to graduate certificate
it seems if i don't have a 3.0, nobody seems to want me. i have 5 years of professional work experience directly related to the degree and had 3 letters of recommendation with my application for the graduate certificate.
i'm planning on calling the admissions office to see what i can do. do you think they'd let me take 1 class? should i beg? sometimes classes aren't filled, right?
is there something i can do? just found out today that i did not get into the certificate program
The reason GPA carries so much more weight with Universities is because first and foremost they want to make sure the applicant will be able to handle the work required for degree completion. There are a limited number of seats each year, and if someone flunks out in the first year, they lose all the tuition that seat would have garnered throughout the program. The only thing they really have to go on to determine how you handle college-level academics is your undergrad GPA. They may feel you have good experience working, but may not be a good enough student for the requirements of the program.
undergrad GPA low (finance major)
grad school seems hopeless, so how about a graduate certificate (4 classes)
applied to graduate certificate
denied admission to graduate certificate
it seems if i don't have a 3.0, nobody seems to want me. i have 5 years of professional work experience directly related to the degree and had 3 letters of recommendation with my application for the graduate certificate.
i'm planning on calling the admissions office to see what i can do. do you think they'd let me take 1 class? should i beg? sometimes classes aren't filled, right?
is there something i can do? just found out today that i did not get into the certificate program
you should be able to sit in a class for free, if it is a grad class it would be wise to contact the professor first to ask if it was okay if you sat in a few of the classes, if they say yes just continue to go to them. sure you wont receive a degree out of it, but it doesnt mean you wont learn (for free even)
We are talking about someone with too low of a GPA to even get into grad school. Academic or employer fellowships require a history of strong academic work. (And masters fellowships, even from employers, are extremely rare and only had by the very talented few.)
The problem with getting an employer pay is that employers almost uniformly require being in a degree program. The OP does not have the record at this time to get into a degree program. OP's employer might pay for a post-bac certificate problem, but it is going to also be a lucky break to get an employer to pay for non-degree post-bac coursework not leading to a degree. Fortunately, I think the OP is seeking graduate work in finance and already works in finance (?). That makes it easier to get the employer to pay than doing post-bac classes completely outside the employer's industry.
That's if you want your employer to pay for a whole degree.
Many employers offer subsidies of some kind to take a class or two somewhere. Those have no GPA requirements.
If the OP ends up accepted into a program down the road, then most employers who offer degree programs would cover it.
In any case, whether the OP works for such an employer or not, the basic strategy is still the same.
Many employers offer subsidies of some kind to take a class or two somewhere. Those have no GPA requirements.
In my experience, employers will only do that if the classes are directly relevant to the employer's industry. Not really clear from the OP if those match up. Of course, the OP could take employer paid classes relevant to the employer just to pad up current GPA. (Another risk there though, some employers will not pay if the employee does not pull at least a B, so the OP better be sure they can pull B or better from now on.)
undergrad GPA low (finance major)
grad school seems hopeless, so how about a graduate certificate (4 classes)
applied to graduate certificate
denied admission to graduate certificate
it seems if i don't have a 3.0, nobody seems to want me. i have 5 years of professional work experience directly related to the degree and had 3 letters of recommendation with my application for the graduate certificate.
i'm planning on calling the admissions office to see what i can do. do you think they'd let me take 1 class? should i beg? sometimes classes aren't filled, right?
is there something i can do? just found out today that i did not get into the certificate program
Go to a grad school that allows you take a few classes, part time without being admitted to a program. There are some mid level, usually small, private universities that allow this.
Then once you have shown you can handle graduate level work (make sure you get straight As) than apply as an appeal student.
undergrad GPA low (finance major)
grad school seems hopeless, so how about a graduate certificate (4 classes)
applied to graduate certificate
denied admission to graduate certificate
it seems if i don't have a 3.0, nobody seems to want me. i have 5 years of professional work experience directly related to the degree and had 3 letters of recommendation with my application for the graduate certificate.
i'm planning on calling the admissions office to see what i can do. do you think they'd let me take 1 class? should i beg? sometimes classes aren't filled, right?
is there something i can do? just found out today that i did not get into the certificate program
I know of plenty of people who strengthened their records by taking 12 graduate credits in their field with a strong GPA. (3.5 or better)
Some certificate programs are "back doors" t gradate programs. As long as they are post undergraduate certificate programs. If the school that you are interesting in attending has a certificate program, that would be a good bet.
Good GREs or MATs also help.
I don't think there is anything wrong with asking the director how to improve your chances.
I'd be cautious about all written communication with the administrators of the school. Get into the habit of capitalizing and using correct grammar and punctuation whenever you write. It's good practice - grad school bound or not.
undergrad GPA low (finance major)
grad school seems hopeless, so how about a graduate certificate (4 classes)
applied to graduate certificate
denied admission to graduate certificate
it seems if i don't have a 3.0, nobody seems to want me. i have 5 years of professional work experience directly related to the degree and had 3 letters of recommendation with my application for the graduate certificate.
i'm planning on calling the admissions office to see what i can do. do you think they'd let me take 1 class? should i beg? sometimes classes aren't filled, right?
is there something i can do? just found out today that i did not get into the certificate program
Hope you can help! I have an overall cumulative GPA of 2.6 from both Canadian and US schools. What can I do to get into a MPH program? Should I take courses online as a non-degree Graduate student? Are there strict restrictions on International students with a low gpa? I know certain schools hold a quota on how many international students they can accept, and I'm hoping my work experience and a seven year distance from my first degree GPA will help me.
I forgot to say my first degree GPA was horrible at a 2.2 and my 2nd degree GPA is at a 3.8.
Last edited by smelltheroses; 01-05-2014 at 08:47 PM..
Reason: Forgot to add one tidbit
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