grad school statistics (GRE, degree, high school, masters)

[XodoX]

I was wondering if there's a website where one can look up the average GPA for admissions to a particular school? Just to know what to aim for ( Yeah, I know...always aim for the highest GPA possibile). I think this info should be somewhere on the websites of the Colleges, but that would be very time consuming to look it all up for a specific major.

[Nemesis16]

^ Just find the program for the particular school you're looking at. Then go to their website and look under their admission requirements. If it's not listed there, look under their Frequently Asked Questions page if there is one.

[uptown_urbanist]

I agree with Nemesis. It's going to vary by department.

Also keep in mind that while overall GPA is of course important, so, too, are the grades in courses actually related to the program you're applying to enter.

Every graduate program I've ever looked at has had extensive information on the department's website. You're most likely to find the best, most accurate, and most up-to-date information there, as those pages are usually the first place potential grad students look when investigating various programs, requirements, and the application process.

[Nemesis16]

^ I would also like to add that graduate admissions consider in work experience. Even if your gpa and GRE scores are not to hot, if you have stellar recommendations and work experience, it can get you a long way. I know plenty of people who have gone on to top graduate programs with 3.1-3.2 gpas but put in the work to gain connections and work experience before applying. These schools want a well rounded class of students.

[hsw]

GPA in isolation is meaningless

Any high-powered grad school (or employer) adjusts any GPA by caliber of college, specific major, grades in known difficult courses, yrs needed to complete college, recommendations from respected profs, interview perf, etc

And any grad school or employer that isn't Darwinian about applicants usually has larger issues of own that one will learn about as one tries to migrate to next step in career...

[Sandpointian]

Originally Posted by XodoX

I was wondering if there's a website where one can look up the average GPA for admissions to a particular school? Just to know what to aim for ( Yeah, I know...always aim for the highest GPA possibile). I think this info should be somewhere on the websites of the Colleges, but that would be very time consuming to look it all up for a specific major.

Why not ask directly? Or have someone do it for you? If grad admissions does not have it, the department chair should have some sense of 25%-75% quartiles, which is more informative.

Almost assuredly in this day and age, the 25%-75% range is going to be 3.6-4.0 at just about any school and for most majors. There is so much grade inflation as to undermine the meaning of a GPA (except if it is low).

S.

[Braunwyn]

As others have mentioned, it's usually right on their website...under admissions if IIRC.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by XodoX

I was wondering if there's a website where one can look up the average GPA for admissions to a particular school? Just to know what to aim for ( Yeah, I know...always aim for the highest GPA possibile). I think this info should be somewhere on the websites of the Colleges, but that would be very time consuming to look it all up for a specific major.

Grad schools handle GPA differently than undergrad universities. They take into account academic rigor and generally focus on the undergrad courses that are relevant to prospective studies in grad school above anything else, so a C in Theoretical Nuclear Physics is going to outweigh an A in English Lit if you are going that route, but the C in TNP might be overlooked all together if you want to pursue English in grad school-for example.

Of course, different grad schools (and programs) have different admission standards and it is assumed (and expected) that by the time you reach that level in your academic career that you would have the maturity to understand that you need to contact the perspective school and seek out this information yourself.

While GPA is important, it is not the be-all-end-all admission criteria that high school students like to stress themselves over. If I remember correctly, the national average is a 3.0 for Masters and a 3.4 for Ph.D. for grad school admissions. Grad schools are more interested in why you want to enter into that particular program and if you have the stamina to see it through so your letter of intent and recommendations are going to heavy hitters in your application.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Braunwyn

As others have mentioned, it's usually right on their website...under admissions if IIRC.

Hmmm....some do and some don't.

[kodaka]

try this website: Admissions.com (http://www.admissions.com/index.htm - broken link)

You can either use the box on the right to enter different search criteria, or you can use the search box in the upper left corner, just above the 'home' and 'school news' menus, to type in a specific school you are looking for.

Just keep in mind that the stats are for the entire university or college, not degree specific. General admission and degree program admission are different matters (particularly at public universities which are often required to admit anyone with a HS Diploma, but have stricter admissions for degree programs).