I started college as a business major with no motivation.
My grades were terrible. I've changed completely and now
aspiring to enter a Ph.D. program in social psychology.
I have plenty of C's, D's, a couple F's and LOTS of DR grades
in my first four years in college. In those four years, only 60
credits completed and GPA of 2.0.
Fast forward three semesters: 12 A's and 3 B's. I sat with an
advisor and together predicted my final GPA to be approx 3.2
when I graduate in 2011, so long I continue with A's and B's.
No clue what my GRE scores will be, but do plan on getting
research experience and great letters of recommendations...
and practicing lots for the GRE.
So SDN,
Considering my transcript, will PhD programs automatically reject
my application? Or will a convincing personal statement of my
situation and the overall positive GPA trend offset my lousy start?
Anyone with experience in acceptance rates for social psychology
programs with a low 3.0 GPA? And a mediocre GRE score?
So your cum GPA is around 3.2. Whats your psych GPA? Are the latest As and Bs in psychology courses? Have you taken any psychology courses?
If the adcoms see an upward shift in your grades, that is always a positive sign, especially if your latest grades have been in psychology classes. Its not uncommon to see students struggle in college, so the only thing IMO that they would want to see is 1) have you learned something positive from this experience, and 2) has the lesson been translated into something substantial (e.g. good grades, etc.)?
Based on what youve shared, you have a good amount of credits left till you graduate. That is a lot of time for you to be able to prove to adcoms that you are serious about psychology and that you demonstrate some knowledge of the field. It appears that you are also aware of what is required to get into a graduate program in psychology, so its good that youve done your research and know what youre getting yourself into.
So, is it too little too late? You really dont know until you try. Take the time you have to build up your application. Maybe addressing your situation in the personal statement will help.