applying to MA in Psych - is a GPA with BA a have-to?

[cframe]

Graduating TESC without taking a course through them leaves a transcript without a GPA. My daughter has one UL Psych course left -- she can get it free through a local college, or pay TESC to take it through them so she gets a GPA. For those who have researched MA programs in psychology, any recommendations?

[cookderosa]

Graduating TESC without taking a course through them leaves a transcript without a GPA. My daughter has one UL Psych course left -- she can get it free through a local college, or pay TESC to take it through them so she gets a GPA. For those who have researched MA programs in psychology, any recommendations?

I think there isn't a difference between 1 and 15. 15 is a traditional residency minimum for a transfer student, so 3 isn't going to make much difference in my opinion (which is all we can do, speculate). I think it's going to come down to her school choice. Is she applying to an online school or a B&M? If she's going for an online school, especially private, I wouldn't give it two seconds thought. If she's applying to a traditional B&M, have her rock out a high score on the GRE and address this in her admissions essay. 1 class isn't really "having a GPA" and adcoms know this too. All her local college credits will be counted into her GPA. Of course tests won't but they'll recalculate her GPA based on all her credits. Have her pick a point of pride in her process and run with it, it's always how you spin it. She rocked this out and kicked butt, say so!

[sanantone]

I don't know how your daughter went about getting all of her credits. If she completely tested out of her degree, then she won't have a GPA at all. If she took courses at another college and transferred them to TESC, she won't have an official GPA from TESC, but the graduate school will calculate a GPA based on all of her transcripts. I have to have a GPA for the grad school I'm going to, but I did not take a course at TESC and it doesn't matter. I have earned more than the 60 graded credits needed at other colleges. There are plenty of programs out there that don't require a GPA, unfortunately, most of them are for-profit. Like Cookderosa said, you might be able to talk some schools into accepting your daughter if she has a high GRE score. Many schools accept students on a conditional or provisional basis where they have to get at least a "B" on their first few courses in order to be full admitted.

[cframe]

Thanks Jennifer and Sanatone --
I think we will take the free local class. Good advice on the GRE too; hadn't thought of that.