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I got a D, what to tell Grad school admission
Kewop Decam
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Well, if you guys remember my problem with the Fine Arts College of UF, then you remember I got a magical D because the college hates me for things I didn't do (the Chairs incident). I don't feel like typing out the whole story cause it is damn long, but the short version is...
Teacher lies to give me a D when I could have gotten anything lower than a B, then she quits and runs away
This causes me to get kicked out my major (didn't really like it anyway)
Fine Arts refuses to help because of previous problem dealing with CHAIRS. The believe I did something I did not, but didn't try to refute because I was just too fed up with the stupid college.
During the grade appeal I get harassed by the African History teacher because I'm Nigerian. He felt he needed to show off how much he knew about my Yoruba culture. He tried to tell me what the fuck my name meant and was wrong as hell, but he insisted that my Grandmother who lived in Nigerian her WHOLE Life and the one who named me doesn't know what my name means or the language... excellent.
So, here's my problem. My GPA is 3.43 right now (it'll go up slightly after this semester). So, even with the D, my GPA is pretty damn good. I'm going to be talking to people from a grad school I really want to go to. Should I explain to them the situation or should I just stay quite about it? If I should tell them, how should I go bout doing it? I mean, they are going to see the grade so I thought it would be better to talk to them one on one about it instead of them just assuming whatever from the grade.
I've never dealt with such a dilemma before so I'm not sure how to handle this at all.
If you want me to type out the whole story of why I got a D and why I hate the college of Fine Arts at my school, then I will, but it'll take me a while.
Teacher lies to give me a D when I could have gotten anything lower than a B, then she quits and runs away
This causes me to get kicked out my major (didn't really like it anyway)
Fine Arts refuses to help because of previous problem dealing with CHAIRS. The believe I did something I did not, but didn't try to refute because I was just too fed up with the stupid college.
During the grade appeal I get harassed by the African History teacher because I'm Nigerian. He felt he needed to show off how much he knew about my Yoruba culture. He tried to tell me what the fuck my name meant and was wrong as hell, but he insisted that my Grandmother who lived in Nigerian her WHOLE Life and the one who named me doesn't know what my name means or the language... excellent.
So, here's my problem. My GPA is 3.43 right now (it'll go up slightly after this semester). So, even with the D, my GPA is pretty damn good. I'm going to be talking to people from a grad school I really want to go to. Should I explain to them the situation or should I just stay quite about it? If I should tell them, how should I go bout doing it? I mean, they are going to see the grade so I thought it would be better to talk to them one on one about it instead of them just assuming whatever from the grade.
I've never dealt with such a dilemma before so I'm not sure how to handle this at all.
If you want me to type out the whole story of why I got a D and why I hate the college of Fine Arts at my school, then I will, but it'll take me a while.
Kewop Decam on
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You can get the D fixed by any means possible, or you can accept responsibility for the D.
If the D remains on your record and you don't have hard proof you deserve better, and you attempt to make excuses for it, the Grad school will assume you are a liar and whiner who doesn't accept responsibility for his actions, and will be even less likely to admit you.
Why would they do this? Because they are far more likely to trust your school, which gave you the D, than you. If you have hard proof you didn't deserve the D, it would be different, but then if you had hard proof, you likely could get the D changed.
Personally I would go to any lengths to fight that D - and if that failed? Accept responsibility for it. If getting it had NOTHING to do with your classwork, classwork is obviously not how you get good grades, so you failed to suck up enough or whatever is ACTUALLY rewarded at your school, which is what the Grad school cares about.
That and the fact I got into some sit with the college that wasn't even my fault. Someone told the college I wrote a letter and signed everyone's name on it and I fucking did not! Because of that, the college has been basically fucking me over and every grad/ungrad student knows it. People have been trying to get me to sue the school for like forever now, but that would just add shit to the shit storm.
The college pretty much fucks everyone over and you don't realize it until you're like 2+ years in. All the upper students try to tell the freshmen to get the fuck out, but they don't listen and we hear the same complaints from them 2 years later.
As for advice, go up the chain until you get ahold of someone not in that "fraternity."
What are you going to grad school for
If it's some kind of math they won't give a shit if you got a D in art.
I exercised all my options to get this bullshit changed, but one of the MAIN reasons they wouldn't change it is due to the fact if the did, I would have proved them wrong on one of the trivial things they tried to put on me. They REFUSE to take blame for ANYTHING.
The main thing that started this huge problem was that we were in a class where we had to bring our OWN chairs! This is the University of Florida mind you... they OWN the fucking rights (we'll, partially) to GATORADE and wouldn't supply the students chairs. Then in the same semester the college buys all these flat screen TVs to display... nothing.
I hate this place with a fucking passion.
WoW dude that's pretty fucked up. That's like, top of the scale fucked up.
sad part is, that's just the beginning of the story... it gets worse. It's like an episode of Seinfeld. Whenever I tell the story people think I'm joking.
Except saying that doesn't help you at all and probably hurts you. The grad school is going to believe your school over you unless you have hard proof and the fact that the school can show you got reprimanded for doing something else isn't going to help your case.
The D changed my life for the better, but I don't know how people will look at that.
Don't grovel or make excuses. Just explain it.
If not, chances are the grad schools you're applying to won't care. If they do, they'll ask - you can tell them the teacher got fired (or quit?) over the grade (and/or her own mismanagement of the class), and you personally believe you did much better in the class than your grade would indicate. Just tell them that, and tell them that you'd be happy to share your portfolio for the class with the grad school if they'd like to see it. Don't go into it any more than that.
Is there a way you can express that without getting into the shit with the college? Perhaps if they ask there's a way you can let them know that yeah, you got the D, but in the long run it really helped you out by bringing about some needed change. I'd suppose your other good educational records plus positively dealing with adversity might go over well.
HELL NO
And the teacher basically got fired because she was the head of the major and got demoted to the max because the major the major was just becoming worse and worse every semester... so she left. did I mention the 3 years I was there she changed her name (FIRST AND LAST) 3 times? Aren't artist just wacky?
i dunno, the college actually put the whole situation on my permanent record like I'm some kind of highschool student. So now my record is full of lies. I don't care, I just graduate and move the fuck on really.
EDIT - besides, I can't tell them it made my life better by letting me escape the stupidity of the college.
Fun Fact - The Fine Arts department makes grad students teach under grad classes. BUT, they don't tell/ask the grad students what class they will be teaching, so we get teachers who don't know programs they are suppose to teach us.
You wouldn't believe how many people don't know the basic shit about photoshop or illustrator and it's not their fault because the school tells students they will be taught these things.
Anyway, I'd not try to cover for the D to the grad school admissions unless absolutely necessary.
no, it wasn't a technical art class like figure drawing or ceramics. It was some random mixed media class that focused on digital arts that was invented that semester by the teacher who up and quit.
Well, looks like you guys all agree i shouldn't say shit until asked. I'll go with that.
It's worth a shot...
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970666737/
Btw, which school is this (so I can tell people not to go there)?
1. Don't lie.
2. Keep your mouth shut until they ask.
3. If they ask, keep the story nonconfrontational, factual, and vague. "I had a problem in this particular class. In the end I thought the grade was unfair, and I raised this concern through the regular channels. The school thought otherwise. So there I stand." That's all they need to know.
In this incident, I strongly believe that the more you talk, the more you're going to hurt yourself. If I didn't know you from Jack Q. Public, what is going to sound more likely to me:
1. This student is making excuses/lying/a troublemaker.
2. A faculty conspiracy at a major university formed to specifically discredit, harass, and damage this particular student through the course of several incidents for their own nefarious purposes.
Let me give you a hint: it's #1. Worse for you, the harder you try to convince them it's #2, the more they're going to believe it's #1. Your story as you repeatedly tell it simply is not believable to an outside third party - regardless of its truth.
This, sir, is the time to fold'em.
University of Florida... avoid it's art program like the plague (unless you're doing drawing or ceramics... then it's okay).
Grad school admission is based on a lot of things besides your grade. Even without the D, your GPA would be less than mediocre by grad school standards. 3.9 is minimal if you want to impress anyone with your grades. In any case, just focus on your recommendation letters, your work sample, and your GRE score if applicable (I don't know if art schools ask for it, but I'd expect so if they're respectable). Those first two things matter most, and your GRE score and application letter still matter more than your GPA.
I'd only add that if you do want to put something there I'd simply state that their are extenuating circumstances surrounding that grade. Avoid being negative or even detailing it. If they are concerned about it they'll bring it up.
truthfully they didn't screw it up, they made it better. The situation was just fucked up as hell. Besides, you can't win against these guys at all... trust me, they'll like a fraternity minus the beer.
Im not exactly sure how they made it better since your here asking for help but what ever. I would have gone for some sort of legal action after striking out with the school. But since you disagree, im gonna say dont bring it up unless asked.
I didn't do the whole legal thing cause my parents wouldn't back me on that and art schools are weird in that they usually don't let you trasnfer art credits (after any legal stuff I would be basically forced to transfer). I didn't want to start over and my scholarships only last for 4-5 years, so fuck it. I didn't want to be in the major and the class I got a D in was stupid and made very little sense.
It made it better for me because...
1. I didn't want to be in that major. I got forced into it when they joined together two majors to create one.
2. I didn't want to be in said major because the teacher who failed me was a hack at art and an idiot (long story, but she was truly a moron). I didn't want her "teaching" me, but it ended up happening.
3. I wanted to get out of the major, but at the same time I didn't know what to change to. That situation forced me to find something immediately and what I changed my major too is what I wish it was the whole time.