Questioins about an average GPA.

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SirDeimos
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 7:14 pm

Questioins about an average GPA.

Post by SirDeimos » Mon Oct 05, 2009 7:28 pm

Thanks for taking the time to read my question, which requires a little background.

My college career was interrupted by a medical variable at some point during each semester. I have Crohn's disease, which reached a pain threshold such that I became addicted to the Lortabs the doctors gave me for it. Thus my college classes suffered being a second priority to that addiction. Half way through my junior year, I saw the ridiculousness of ruining my dreams because of my illness and kicked the pills. A dramatic increase in my performance followed.

I finished with a 3.0, and a 3.5 in my major (math) and a minor in physics.

My question is whether or not grad schools will take things like that into consideration. I've always tested well and am preparing vigilantly for the GRE, so I plan to do well. Assuming I get a score above the 95%th percentile, can I still get into a program? Lastly, what is the highest score you've heard of a friend getting on the physics GRE?

Thanks again for your time, and I look forward to the information you all can provide!

*edit

Answering any of these questions would be greatly appreciated.

Orion
Math/Physics
Westminster College

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WhoaNonstop
Posts: 853
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:31 am

Re: Questioins about an average GPA.

Post by WhoaNonstop » Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:49 am

Orion,

You'll find by looking through most requirements for graduate school that a 3.0 or higher must be attained. Some schools have a 2.75 GPA requirement, and a select few even have 2.5 GPA requirement. I'm not sure how rigidly they base selection on this but if you're above a 3.0, you'll definately have a chance at getting into a school. It may be harder to get into the top-tier schools because of this, but if you can follow through with a wonderful score on the PGRE (such as 95%), and have had at least some research experience, you shouldn't have a problem finding a program that will accept you.

Make sure that you are well prepared for the test and have looked through the practice tests online, this will be a big help if you can score well on it.

As far as a friend getting a score on the Physics GRE, I do not have any friends who have taken the Physics GRE, nor can I recall someone in the last three graduating classes from the Physics Department at my school taking the test. I guess the people around me aren't as ambitious to go to graduate school.

Hope this helps.

-Riley

nathan12343
Posts: 249
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 9:34 am

Re: Questioins about an average GPA.

Post by nathan12343 » Tue Oct 06, 2009 2:53 am

Several people in my graduating classes got scores above 900. One got a 990. That said, the person who got the 990 also scored nearly 100% on a classical mechanics test which had a mean of 33%.

SirDeimos
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 7:14 pm

Re: Questioins about an average GPA.

Post by SirDeimos » Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:04 pm

That is some amazing information guys.

Classical mechanics is my forte, as a coincidence, which makes me excited. They finally sent my my practice exam packet which answered a lot of my questions as well.

Have you heard of GRE study groups existing? How can I find them in my city (Salt Lake City, UT).

And what worries me is that my GPA is 2.997, which does in fact round to 3.0 with 2 significant figures. Does that logic hold?

Thanks again for your replies.

Orion Nash



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