Are students with dual degrees looked upon favorably in the graduate admissions process and does GPA matter?

Question

It is a very competitive program but I have a low GPA. Each of the 2 degrees earned are somewhat related to the MA field.

Opinions? Comments? Suggestions??

Answer 1

Most graduate programs have a minimum GPA for applicants. The minimum cumulative is usually 3.0 and the expectation for the GPA in the major, which is most often the same field as the Masters field, is usually higher.

Dual degrees are only a plus in graduate admissions when both degrees are directly related to the intended field of study.at the graduate level.

Answer 2

Your GPA is far more important. The dual degree is looked at as an option that you chose - the GPA is a real assessment of how you performed against your peers. You can argue that the breadth of knowledge gained from the dual degree took up much more of your time and was more challenging than a single major; but you will have to overcome the viewpoint that if you could not have handled the workload, you should not have chosen a dual major.

When you write your grad school essays, you need to really stress why the dual degrees were important to you, and why you chose to opt for the lower GPA instead of dropping one of the majors. You'll have to be convincing, and you'll have to have an excellent standardized test score to get into a top grad school. Good luck.

Answer 3

Anything that makes you look good helps. In my university (in Canada), GPA is a large factor, though. Depends how competitive the program is, but typically you're not looked at if you don't have at least a 3.0 in the last 2 yrs of your degree. Most of the programs also require 3 letters of recommendation. I suggest you look at the requirements for the program you're interested in. Book an appointment with a graduate adviser. They will be able to tell you a lot more than we can. Good luck, you never know till you try.

Answer 4

GPA definitely does matter. For example, at the UT history grad program, average gpa of accepted applicants is something like 3.74. So if you're under 3.5 you're at a disadvantage. Usually, I would say having a double major doesn't really help much, but in your case it could be an asset you want to play up in the application. It does make you unique in that you can bring a different perspective to what you want to study.

Answer 5

Obviously, GPA is a consideration. However, dual degrees certainly hlep. You also have to pass a test to get into a graduate program called a GRE or GMAT. This score will also be a point of interst in you application. For more information pertaining to the GRE, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graduate_Program#United_States