After graduation, or if you're still in the final year of undergraduate schooling, the question of whether or not to obtain a master’s degree can show up. If your grade point average hovers around 2.0, it can seem a far-off dream to attend a graduate school and obtain a master’s degree. Family members may wonder what the benefits of attending graduate school are and friends may scoff at the idea of continuing education after completing a grueling undergraduate degree. There are a number of grad schools that accept a 2.0 GPA.
Reasons for Applying
A master’s degree can be completed in place of professional training, propelling your salary and position once outside of school. It’s an investment in the future. Today’s job market can be tight and a master’s degree puts you firmly in the top percent of applicants. Depending on the degree, a master’s can allow you to explore your interests in more depth and further contribute to the world’s knowledge of a particular subject. More high school students are attending college, making the bachelor’s degree a standard over previous generations where it was an obvious plus.
Grad Schools that Accept 2.0 GPA
If your undergraduate work didn’t show off your capabilities to their best advantage, don’t despair. There is a long list of graduate schools with low GPA requirements. There are quite a few ways to get into a good master’s program with a 2.0 GPA. A simple search of universities that accept a 2.0 GPA for master's will garner a bevy of graduate programs that are eager for your application. The University of Colorado, Boulder scholarships has a base of 2.0 for entering freshmen to its master’s programs. Others include Widener University, Full Sail University, Liberty University and McNeese State University. Online programs are also abundant for master's in particular areas of studies.
Tips on Applying
Don’t narrow your search for a master’s program to one particular school. Spreading out and choosing at least 10 schools will open up your opportunities to getting in to a program. Consider the GRE scores for each school. Take a practice GRE before applying to schools. Free online GRE tests include the Kaplan and Princeton reviews. Grab a GRE test practice book before sitting down in front of the computer to give yourself a fair chance of scoring high. Admissions offices often consider a GRE highly in their application admission process. If you're in the 75th percentile range, you have a fairly decent chance of being accepted wherever you hope to attend. If not, search for schools with a GRE that accepts lower percentiles.
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Writer Bio
Kimberley McGee is an award-winning journalist with 20+ years of experience writing about education, jobs, business and more for The New York Times, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Today’s Parent and other publications. She graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from UNLV. Her full bio and clips can be seen at www.vegaswriter.com.