applying to graduate school after 13 year layoff

[crazyeye]

Hello. I was hoping someone might be able to steer me in the right
direction. I am very interested in going to graduate school but I'm unsure
as to how to proceed. Here is my situation:

I received a BA in 1989. My grades were mediocre at best, basically because
I was immature and didn't work at all. (By mediocre I'm talking a gpa
around 2.2). I didn't bother even considering grad school at that point
because I figured with such lousy grades I wouldn't get in anywhere. I went
on then to have a successful career until 1998 when a protracted illness
resulted in my being permanently disabled. I have not worked since and
might not work again.

It's been 14 years since I graduated and I would really like to go to
graduate school. I'm thinking less in terms of for career advancement
(obviously) and just for intellectual enrichment. I am confident that I can
do well as I'm much more mature than I was as a 20-year old. There is yet
an additional obstacle: I have a family and a home so relocating is not an
option. I would need to attend a school no more than 60 or so miles from my
home.

So my basic question is Do I have any chance at getting into a graduate
program with such a miserable undergraduate GPA? My thinking is that since
so much time has transpired since then that much less emphasis would be
placed on my undergrad performance, but I don't know if that is accurate or
not. Can somebody suggest a way to proceed down this road? Believe it or
not there is not a particular vocation that I have in mind as far as
obtaining an advanced degree goes. I have so many interests and would be
excited about many different prospects ranging from philosophy to writing to
psychology and many others.

Another question: Do you need to have taken several undergrad courses in a
particular field in order to study it on the graduate level or can that all
be attacked once in grad school?

I apologize for this being so long but I'm just so confused as to how to
proceed. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

[s***@temple.edu]

Post by crazyeye
So my basic question is Do I have any chance at getting into a graduate
program with such a miserable undergraduate GPA?
Another question: Do you need to have taken several undergrad courses in a
particular field in order to study it on the graduate level or can that all
be attacked once in grad school?

Contact the graduate admissions department at each school in your area to
discuss your questions. Answers to your questions will vary from one
school to the next and one graduate program to the next. You can probably
find the contact information by looking on the web or your local telephone
directory.

[Nick Anderson]

For what it is worth, yes you have a chance. But I'd realistically
note that it may take a little while to get in. Now is the time to
apply for fall of '04, and you should get the following things in
order:


Meet with any advisor or faculty you can, but be prepared when you go
in. The faculty may be on the admission committee.

Study hard for your GRE's, get workbooks like Princeton Review for
subject areas

Work hard on your personal statement, these carry a lot of weight. In
your statement, speak to your maturity now vs then, and talk about any
significant events over the past 13 years.

Consider taking a college course immediately, to remind yourself of
the rigor... This is also helpful in including in your personal
statement, and may be required.

Get references that state to your ability to apply yourself in
graduate school

I didn't believe it myself, but admissions committees looks at the
collection of application materials, and so can be encouraged to
overlook poor performance in one area.

good luck

-Nick

[Celeste]

If you want it, go for it. After 13 years I doubt undergrad grades
will be that relevant. Do follow the advice about getting good
letters of recommendation and meeting with representatives from the
departments. If you're planning on applying for next fall, you should
be thinking about taking the GRE's over the next couple of months.

For determining where you want to go, I recommend the books "What
Color is Your Parachute?" and "Seven Habits of Highly Effective
People." Both were very helpful to me when I was soul, job, and
education-searching. Also, just start reading web sites of programs
which might interest you. I found that after a significant amount of
reading, I was gettting much more fired up over somethings than
others.

Many departments, especially those which are scientific/technical or
highly competitive, will ask you something along the lines of "Why do
you want to go to grad school and what do you plan to do afterward?"
If you're hoping for a fellowship, they'll basically be trying to
decide how educating you in particular will benefit society as a whole
and why resources expended on you would be a good investment. If
you're paying the bills, you'll have much more leeway, but it's still
worth thinking about. Few of us have the perfect answer to this
question, so think about it but don't let it discourage you.

Then go for it. Good luck!

-Celeste

Post by crazyeye
Hello. I was hoping someone might be able to steer me in the right
direction. I am very interested in going to graduate school but I'm unsure
I received a BA in 1989. My grades were mediocre at best, basically because
I was immature and didn't work at all. (By mediocre I'm talking a gpa
around 2.2). I didn't bother even considering grad school at that point
because I figured with such lousy grades I wouldn't get in anywhere. I went
on then to have a successful career until 1998 when a protracted illness
resulted in my being permanently disabled. I have not worked since and
might not work again.
It's been 14 years since I graduated and I would really like to go to
graduate school. I'm thinking less in terms of for career advancement
(obviously) and just for intellectual enrichment. I am confident that I can
do well as I'm much more mature than I was as a 20-year old. There is yet
an additional obstacle: I have a family and a home so relocating is not an
option. I would need to attend a school no more than 60 or so miles from my
home.
So my basic question is Do I have any chance at getting into a graduate
program with such a miserable undergraduate GPA? My thinking is that since
so much time has transpired since then that much less emphasis would be
placed on my undergrad performance, but I don't know if that is accurate or
not. Can somebody suggest a way to proceed down this road? Believe it or
not there is not a particular vocation that I have in mind as far as
obtaining an advanced degree goes. I have so many interests and would be
excited about many different prospects ranging from philosophy to writing to
psychology and many others.
Another question: Do you need to have taken several undergrad courses in a
particular field in order to study it on the graduate level or can that all
be attacked once in grad school?
I apologize for this being so long but I'm just so confused as to how to
proceed. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

[g***@best.cut.here.com]

Post by crazyeye
Hello. I was hoping someone might be able to steer me in the right
direction. I am very interested in going to graduate school but I'm unsure
I received a BA in 1989. My grades were mediocre at best, basically because
I was immature and didn't work at all. (By mediocre I'm talking a gpa
around 2.2). I didn't bother even considering grad school at that point
because I figured with such lousy grades I wouldn't get in anywhere. I went
on then to have a successful career until 1998 when a protracted illness
resulted in my being permanently disabled. I have not worked since and
might not work again.
It's been 14 years since I graduated and I would really like to go to
graduate school. I'm thinking less in terms of for career advancement
(obviously) and just for intellectual enrichment. I am confident that I can
do well as I'm much more mature than I was as a 20-year old. There is yet
an additional obstacle: I have a family and a home so relocating is not an
option. I would need to attend a school no more than 60 or so miles from my
home.
So my basic question is Do I have any chance at getting into a graduate
program with such a miserable undergraduate GPA? My thinking is that since
so much time has transpired since then that much less emphasis would be
placed on my undergrad performance, but I don't know if that is accurate or
not. Can somebody suggest a way to proceed down this road? Believe it or
not there is not a particular vocation that I have in mind as far as
obtaining an advanced degree goes. I have so many interests and would be
excited about many different prospects ranging from philosophy to writing to
psychology and many others.

I think your best bet at this point is to start contacting schools and
asking them what their entrance requirements are. In some cases, work
experience can substitute for classroom experience. You may have to
retake some undergrad classes, not just because of low grades but
because the subject matter may have changed since you graduated.

Post by crazyeye
Another question: Do you need to have taken several undergrad courses in a
particular field in order to study it on the graduate level or can that all
be attacked once in grad school?

This depends on the school and department in question. I went to grad
school in CS at UCLA from 1989-92, and was required to take some
undergrad courses there as well. Since it had been five years since
I'd been an undergrad, I needed the review.

Good luck,
--gregbo
gds at best dot com