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GPA padding after college

AirGuy

AirGuy

Member
Hi there,

Is it possible to pad up my GPA after graduation. For example, can I take extra college courses now (and do well) and will this be included to improve my GPA when I apply for OCS?

I haven't applied to OCS yet.

Thanks.
 
You submit transcripts for all attempted college classes so yes it's possible to take additional classes after you get your degree. But I think if the classes aren't related to your degree or a masters that it'll be pretty clear you're just trying to boost your GPA.

It's like padding stats in a football game, the only stats that matter is when the game is on the line. I recommend just busting ass with the remaining classes in your major and see what works out. I know for certain, if you are applying for a job position on the civilian side as an engineer all they care about is your in major grades. So doing well helps you out beyond the Navy side of things.
 
It's not as easy as it sounds, but it depends on how low your GPA is. After 120+ credits your average is generally pretty permanent. I finished my BA with a 3.5 and then got a MS with a 4.0. But each A I got toward my MS only raised my GPA by .01. Therefore, it took 10 classes to raise it by only one decimal point. If your GPA is a two-point something, an A would have a bigger impact, but you'd have to work hard and get all As. And if the end of your transcript was full of classes like Underwater Basketweaving 101, the board would probably see right through that, so just taking a bunch of really easy classes probably won't help you that much.

If your transcript is lackluster a good move whether you go Navy or not is to get a masters. In the amount of time it might take you to get accepted to OCS or find a civilian job you might just make it all the way through a masters like I did. I had to submit 3 applications before one actually made it to the board without being lost. And finding a job took me about 7 months (with the masters in hand).
 
Yes, I had one of those 2.something GPA's and took some classes at the local state university campus after graduation. GPA went up a bit and no one said anything to me about it. That was 2006 though so your mileage may vary.
 
Can't he just retake some classes and the new grade over rides the old for the degree but I dont think it will override for transcripts.
 
dmamula said:
Can't he just retake some classes and the new grade over rides the old for the degree but I dont think it will override for transcripts.
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in general once a degree is conferred everything is set.

some schools before a degree is conferred you retake and grade is replaced, others it is not.
 
Disclaimer: take my advice with a grain of salt, I've not even been through OCS yet.

If I were in your shoes I would only take extra classes if absolutely necessary (think gpa <2.5). Kick ass on the ASTB, get some solid letters of recommendation from people who know you well, write a good motivational statement, and stay out of trouble.

Study hard for the ASTB and go take it. If you struggle on the ASTB then consider redoing old classes if your school allows it. Bottom line: taking extra classes is a significant time and money commitment which may not be necessary if you do really well on the ASTB.

Edit: "What Sonog said" + 100 words...
 
Thanks everyone for the advice. I got an 8/8/9 on the ASTB (old version Form 5).

Reading around on the forums it seems a significant portion of test takers are making a good score on the new ASTB. Should I take the new version (Forms, 6, 7) and try getting all 9's? The biggest problem I had with the old version was managing my time through the entire test. What do you guys think?
 
AirGuy said:
Thanks everyone for the advice. I got an 8/8/9 on the ASTB (old version Form 5).

Reading around on the forums it seems a significant portion of test takers are making a good score on the new ASTB. Should I take the new version (Forms, 6, 7) and try getting all 9's? The biggest problem I had with the old version was managing my time through the entire test. What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
Oh god please don't do it. Your scores are fine. What about the OAR? 50+?
 
8/8/9 is solid. With a retake you risk doing worse and with those scores I'd say it's not worth the risk. If you are close enough to graduation go to an OR and get an application going.
 
Pman said:
Oh god please don't do it. Your scores are fine. What about the OAR? 50+?
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The OAR was a 69, I think. My GPA, however, is (<2.5). Taking courses after college I can get it (>2.5). I also did do 2 internships in college. Would the internships help my package?

The internships didn't really have anything to do with aviation. I was helping with a low-level programming change for factory machines.
 
AirGuy said:
The OAR was a 69, I think. My GPA, however, is (<2.5). Taking courses after college I can get it (>2.5). I also did do 2 internships in college. Would the internships help my package?

The internships didn't really have anything to do with aviation. I was helping with a low-level programming change for factory machines.
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Your biggest concern at this point is GPA; test scores are fantastic and I recommend you do not retake and risk getting a lower score. To make yourself more competitive, finish out your bachelor's degree with as close to a 4.0 as you can (although from your posts it seems you have already finished your degree. How did you do that by age 20?). If this isn't possible (i.e. you've already finished your degree), you may want to consider pursuing a Master's degree. The higher education makes you more competitive, as well as providing you a significant opportunity to boost your overall GPA without trying to just "pad" it with unnecessary classes. Also, if your school allows it, consider retaking some classes in which you failed to perform your best. Some universities will allow the new grade to replace the old grade on your transcript. Changing a couple of C's or D's to A's and B's will go a LONG way.
 
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The only reason I said 2.5 is because I think it was the minimum. It might be 2.0, not sure. You'd have to look it up to be sure.

I did an internship last summer and the main benefit (in terms of ocs application) was getting a solid LOR. If you can tie it into your motivational statement with a reason why it makes you more prepared to serve as an officer, even better.
 
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