quantwanabe Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 ok, I went throough the profiles of those who were admitted to Top 10 programs and I didnt not find anyone admitted with a GPA below 3.6. Based on my, bias, sample it seems that 3.6 ougth to be the min GPA to apply to Top 10 schools. Why do those top 10 programs say that a min GPA of 3.0 is required, while they know that applicants need at least 3.6 to get in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyb19 Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 I think its the minimum imposed by the Graduate School. Its the same thing with the statement of purpose, the only reason most departments require it is because the Graduate School does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkitkat Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 They also say that while 3.0 is the minimum requirement it does not guarantee admission so it's not really an untold truth, it's more of a told truth :) . Danny is right, 3.0 is a standard that is set by Graduate School, not the department. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekonomiks Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 ok, I went throough the profiles of those who were admitted to Top 10 programs and I didnt not find anyone admitted with a GPA below 3.6. Based on my, bias, sample it seems that 3.6 ougth to be the min GPA to apply to Top 10 schools. Why do those top 10 programs say that a min GPA of 3.0 is required, while they know that applicants need at least 3.6 to get in? Actually, nobody has a GPA below 3.8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayern Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Actually, nobody has a GPA below 3.8 No, its more like a 3.7... especially if you consider the schools in the rank 7-10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treasuries Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 "Based on my, bias, sample it seems that 3.6 ought to be the min GPA to apply to Top 10 schools." "Actually, nobody has a GPA below 3.8" "No, its more like a 3.7... especially if you consider the schools in the rank 7-10." The average of these three is 3.7 so I guess it is 3.7. Hehe. :D By the way, what's the Latin honor that goes with 3.7? Is it magna cum laude in the U.S.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apropos Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 I know that this guy was accepted into U Penn (no funding) with a low GPA, but he had some work experience for a real research institution (some Fed bank I believe). So miracles happen, but I highly doubt that every typical otherwise great applicant with a low GPA is in this same position as him for getting there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayern Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 "Based on my, bias, sample it seems that 3.6 ought to be the min GPA to apply to Top 10 schools." "Actually, nobody has a GPA below 3.8" "No, its more like a 3.7... especially if you consider the schools in the rank 7-10." The average of these three is 3.7 so I guess it is 3.7. Hehe. :D By the way, what's the Latin honor that goes with 3.7? Is it magna cum laude in the U.S.? Hehe, nice calculation :D. And yes 3.7 is a magna cum laude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayern Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 I know that this guy was accepted into U Penn (no funding) with a low GPA, but he had some work experience for a real research institution (some Fed bank I believe). So miracles happen, but I highly doubt that every typical otherwise great applicant with a low GPA is in this same position as him for getting there. Yes, miracle happens. I guess thats why everyone keeps saying to apply to a wide range of schools... and about the process is so random. :crazy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apropos Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Yes, miracle happens. I guess thats why everyone keeps saying to apply to a wide range of schools... and about the process is so random. :crazy: I don't think it was that random though. I mean, not everyone has an established relationship with economists who are "well-connected" with people at departments he is applying too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treasuries Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Hehe, nice calculation :D. And yes 3.7 is a magna cum laude. Hmm... Interesting. Bayern, can you please provide the range for what will earn one in the U.S. a summa, magna and cum laude? In my university in Southeast Asia we have this grading system: 1.0 (highest), 1.25, 1.5, ..., 5.0 (fail). So the range for Latin honors are: summa cum laude: 1.0 to 1.20 magna cum laude: 1.21 to 1.45 cum laude: 1.46 to 1.75 In a university-wide graduation every year only 5 to 7 earn summa, around 50 to 80 earn magna, and around 500 to 600 cum laude. These are out of 3,500 to 4,000 graduating undergrad students. Is this typical in the U.S.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayern Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 True, true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckykatt Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 At my school it was 3.9 for suma, 3.7 for magna, and 3.5 for cum laude. (On 4.0 scale, of course.) I think those cutoffs are fairly typical. I suspect that a higher proportion of students are awarded those distinctions at most schools than in the example you gave, treasuries, but that's just a guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayern Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 In my college, the summa, magna, sum are exatly the same as buckykatt mentioned... and this is true for most of the universities Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polkaparty Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 My university also follows the same scale buckykatt mentioned, but to achieve magna or summa you have to write a thesis as well as have the minimum GPA. In addition, I believe, your thesis has to be rated by a committee. If they don't like it enough, you may not graduate summa cum laude even if you have a GPA > 3.9. I think the same goes for magna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekonomiks Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 No, its more like a 3.7... especially if you consider the schools in the rank 7-10. Are you talking about the profiles thread? Who got into top 10 with a below-3.8 GPA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treasuries Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 At my school it was 3.9 for suma, 3.7 for magna, and 3.5 for cum laude. (On 4.0 scale, of course.) I think those cutoffs are fairly typical. I suspect that a higher proportion of students are awarded those distinctions at most schools than in the example you gave, treasuries, but that's just a guess. In my college, the summa, magna, sum are exatly the same as buckykatt mentioned... and this is true for most of the universities My university also follows the same scale buckykatt mentioned, but to achieve magna or summa you have to write a thesis as well as have the minimum GPA. In addition, I believe, your thesis has to be rated by a committee. If they don't like it enough, you may not graduate summa cum laude even if you have a GPA > 3.9. I think the same goes for magna. Thank you for the information! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karina 07 Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Hmm... Interesting. Bayern, can you please provide the range for what will earn one in the U.S. a summa, magna and cum laude? In my university in Southeast Asia we have this grading system: 1.0 (highest), 1.25, 1.5, ..., 5.0 (fail). So the range for Latin honors are: summa cum laude: 1.0 to 1.20 magna cum laude: 1.21 to 1.45 cum laude: 1.46 to 1.75 In a university-wide graduation every year only 5 to 7 earn summa, around 50 to 80 earn magna, and around 500 to 600 cum laude. These are out of 3,500 to 4,000 graduating undergrad students. Is this typical in the U.S.? For me it was top 5% = summa, top 15% = magna, and top... I'm not sure what percent = cum laude. Of course, who would make it into those percentages depended a good deal on what discipline one studied. I.e. there were the disciplines in which profs routinely gave good, but not excellent marks, and the disciplines in which the median tended to be much lower but there'd be the occasional star student who'd get straight As.... I think this roughly -- *roughly* -- actually corresponded to the 3.9/3.7/3.5 previously mentioned. Very roughly, though, so don't quote me on that, especially since I only know the actual number around my area... (I was 0.02 away from summa! ARGH!!!!!). As far as committee things go, the summa/magna/etc. were automatically calculated and given, but Phi Beta Kappa (top 10%) would check to see that you took a well-rounded bunch of courses and I'm not sure but maybe they were also interested in the thesis (everyone around that level would write one) and they might have required some support from the faculty or something, I'm not sure, like a general "okay, who knows X? They're good? Cool." I was pretty upset because my roommate had the GPA required but somehow didn't make the cut on the other factors, and we never knew why.... But I hear this varies from school to school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snappythecrab Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 but Phi Beta Kappa (top 10%) would check to see that you took a well-rounded bunch of courses and I'm not sure but maybe they were also interested in the thesis (everyone around that level would write one) and they might have required some support from the faculty or something, I'm not sure, like a general "okay, who knows X? They're good? Cool." I was pretty upset because my roommate had the GPA required but somehow didn't make the cut on the other factors, and we never knew why.... But I hear this varies from school to school. What was your roommate's major? PBK is a liberal arts honor society. It requires something like 75% of one's hours to be of the liberal arts variety, and thus really isn't available to "professional" students, such as business majors, nursing students, etc. Typically, and it sounds this way at your UG, notice is made to profs about a student's candidacy for PBK. Profs are encouraged to submit LORs for students that they feel are deserving of election. The committee then meets and considers each student. How rigorous of a selection process there is depends on the school, but certainly things like the strength of one's schedule, major, honors thesis and relations with the college are taken into account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDutt Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 The title of this thread should have been The "inconvenient" truth about Top 10 Programs...then this thread would have won the equivalent of an "Academy Award" in the Oscars for Threads on Forums. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karina 07 Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 What was your roommate's major? PBK is a liberal arts honor society. Yea, she was a comparative literature major and had taken classes across the disciplines. So we were a bit puzzled. She did an honours thesis, too. She was pretty quiet, though, so it's possible that she just had nobody really standing up for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyb19 Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 At my undergrad, which as a small, private LAC, Cum Laude was 3.7-3.8, Magna was 3.8-3.9, and Summa was > 3.9. All on a 4.0 scale (no A+'s). Also, I received the Phi Beta Kappa honor but over half of my classes were economics courses, and that doesn't include stats and calculus. When they told me I was awarded Phi Beta Kappa for my "diverse scholarly achievements" I laughed audibly and was like "uh, ok," because I really only liked econ classes and tried to avoid everything else like the plague. I guess they felt like they had to give at least one econ major PBK though, lucky for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubikford Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 At my current school, each college has its own scale for Latin honors. In my college (Letters and Science), cum laude was 3.6-3.8, magna was 3.8-3.9, and summa was 3.9. You need to complete an honors thesis, though, if you want to finish with magna or summa. The architecture people have it tougher, I think. You need to get, like, a 3.8 just to get a cum laude. It changes every year, though, I mean, the GPA you need to get for a cum laude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polkaparty Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Does anyone think membership of organizations like Phi Betta Kappa help more than an infinitesimal amount in econ admissions? Theoretically, I think these organizations add nothing to a resume above and beyond transcripts, your actual thesis paper, LORs, etc. Consequently I've rejected or ignored every 'initiation' to join any honor society. Perhaps I'm blinded by misplaced principles, but I can't condone spending 40+ dollars to perpetuate the these antiquated institutions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckykatt Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 If those organizations have some kind of meetings or presentations that offer a chance to network, then maybe they're worth something. But I assume they have no value whatsoever as a signal to admissions committees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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