What do I do about a Low Graduating GPA?

Apply to take grad courses without being admitted into a program. Take at least 12 credit hours and do you best to prove you can do graduate level work. Then apply for admission into a program.

All is not lost. How about re-taking some of the classes that you’ll need for your graduate degree at a community college? Go to the university website, look through your undergraduate transcript, and figure out if you need to do that. Then, apply to the university as a non-degree student. This usually requires you filling out a sheet of paper and paying your tuition. Usually no recommendation forms or essay required. I’m not 100% sure, but I don’t think that financial aid is given to non-degree students, so hopefully that’s not an issue for you. Also, take the GRE or whichever exam you need for your field and do your best.

When you take your classes, aim really high and get those grades. You need to impress your professors. Get to know them a little. After taking about 12 hours (find out how many credits non-degree students can take – for many it’s 12), ask some professors if they’d be willing to write positive recommendations for you. Then apply into the program. You would have proven that you can excel in their program, that you’re a dedicated student, and hopefully impressed at least one professor who sits on the admissions panel. I know several people who’ve done this and it’s always worked out for them.

These might help you too:

http://ask.metafilter.com/67962/How-do-I-get-over-my-academic-past

http://ask.metafilter.com/category/9

Good luck.

This depends upon the field in which you “need” a master’s. If you take and do very well on the appropriate aptitude exam (GRE, GMAT, etc.), you may be able to show that your poor performance as an undergraduate was due to immaturity that you have now overcome, since your degree was 6 years ago (note to others reading this answer: don’t try within a couple of years of graduation). You might want to take a critical class or two; for example, if you did poorly in math as an undergraduate, taking a math class and doing well would help prove that you are indeed capable of it).

If you still can’t get in to most schools, this is a situation in which I might even endorse something like the University of Phoenix. They just want your money and don’t seem to care much about your credentials. You just want the degree and don’t seem to need a quality education. It may be a match.

You can’t fix your GPA now. You may want to address the issue in a letter attached to your application though.