I graduated 8 years ago with a 2.6 in physics at a mid-tier state school and have been working as a data scientist since I graduated. Currently a running my own small team of 5-8 after a promotion a 4 years ago.
I’m trying to go back to school and get a masters, but I feel the GPA will really be holding me back from any really elite programs.
I have been looking at the Harvard, Berkley extension schools, Stanford professional courses, Columbia post-bacc etc and am considering taking a few graded, academic credit courses to improve my standing and then applying for a top program.
I am not sure of the differences in value between them, and would really appreciate some advice on how to approach this. I’m wholly sure I can take any rigor of course and pull of a high grade to show something for grad schools.
Ideal programs I’m looking into are on the level of Berkeley MIDS. The main thing I’m asking is what I might be able to do to offset this GPA for high ranking programs, and which programs are respected to do so in academia.
Comments
Probably not the right place to ask, but in general those online professional masters programs are not exactly picky about taking your money for a degree
A couple of classes will not undo your undergraduate GPA in effect. However, a sky-high GMAT/GRE score helps.
I’m not sure why you feel you like to be in a really elite school. If you are after education, many nice, top schools provide that. I’ve taught in a top 10 program and I don’t think a school 3-4 places above us was likely doing anything materially different.
So we come to the branding. If you are after prestige and exclusivity, I don’t think extensions schools really bestow that. Most graduate schools are happy to take your money. And these top names extension schools are happy to do that and don’t even give you the degree with that exact big name branding. You won’t even get the networking that people are often looking for, with these online programs. They exude prestige from a distance but it’s not exactly the same thing.
Berkeley mids costs fortune.
You can pursue conditional acceptance approach where some online msds program allows students to take certain graduate level courses. If you get satisfactory grade, you are in the program. I think courses are offered through coursera.