I finished high school with 98%. When I got to uni, everyone told me GPA doesn’t matter, just focus on skills and experience. So I did exactly that.
I learned web development, worked 2+ years as a full stack developer with real clients, and spent my energy building actual things instead of chasing grades. No regrets on that part.
But now I’m in my final year and for the first time I actually want to continue to a masters. Specifically funded MS programs in the US — there’s no way I can afford full tuition out of pocket.
The problem: my GPA is around 2.8/4.0. I can’t realistically save it before graduation.
What I do have going for me:
•2+ years of real full stack experience
•My graduation project is an AI-powered internal Learning Management System built in collaboration with National Airlines — real company, real data, real scope
•This summer I’m interning to build an agentic coding platform for kids
•Strong math background (graduated high school at 98%)
So my question is — is a 2.8 GPA a hard dealbreaker for funded MS programs in the US, or can strong research/project experience compensate? And what should I be focusing on right now to give myself the best shot?