Apply for graduate schemes with poor 1st/2nd year grades

I'm on a Masters course in Aero engineering, and it's fair to say I screwed up my first couple of years on the course (in terms of results). It's a 5 year course and my final degree result is based only on 4th & 5th year results, so based on that my expected result is 2:1. But some graduate employers request transcripts showing results from all years.

Otherwise my experience is alright - worked part-time throughout university and completed a 12 month industrial placement which is all on my CV. As i said my expected result is 2:1 based on the actual grading process which uses only the final 2 years results, but if employers look at ALL of my results throughout they would probably predict 2:2.

How should I approach this in my application? Should I explain it in cover letters that my grades aren't exceptional but I've got the necessary skills from experience?

Any advice at all would be helpful :confused:

I've had a few rejections with no feedback so I'm worried it's the grades causing it.

Reply 1

Smack

Volunteer Team

You predict your own grade, so as long as you predict yourself a 2:1 then you're fine.

Reply 2

mantheharpooons

Original post by Smack

You predict your own grade, so as long as you predict yourself a 2:1 then you're fine.

Yeah, but the recruiters would want more certainty than that surely. I've noticed a few times there's a disclaimer during the application when my transcript or module results are requested - it says my results must indicate that the prediction is a realistic estimate of my final degree grade.

Reply 3

Smack

Volunteer Team

Original post by mantheharpooons

If you're on track for the masters then it's fair enough to predict yourself a 2:1 since a predicted 2:1 is usually the requirement to continue onto the masters year. At least, this suggests that the academics at uni think you're capable of achieving a 2:1.