USCGA has a little line in their transcripts that aludes to the fact that gradautes may have lower GPAs than their counterparts at other schools, but they are generally very successful.
My undergrad GPA was horrible (my grad school GPA was almost 2.0 higher).
I had 4 years public affairs experience, some advanced public affairs training, and a role in a large oil spill response.
A commander in my office stopped by my desk nearly every day to push me to apply to grad school. At the same time a CGA classmate told me I should apply for the post-9/11 GI Bill.
I applied for the GI bill, and about a month later found out I had been approved.
Eventually to quiet the commander I took a look at some of the DC-area public relations program. I found a course requirement page at GW that I found interesting. I had looked at Georgetown and American, and while both had PR master's programs, I like GW's the most.
So I went all-in. I applied for a GRE-waiver, because I had more than 3 years experience. I was in frequent communication with the program director.
Eventually, because of my low undergrad GPA I received a conditional acceptance, provided I maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher for my first 6 credits. I blew that out of the water.
I also benefited from the fact that the program director's boss who approved GRE-waiver requests, was a West Point graduate and understood a service academy grad's slightly lower GPA.
I finished the program the first week of December 2012, and this Thursday, Jan. 31, will FINALLY have my master's degree.
YES, your undergrad GPA will follow you, at least until you have another GPA to stand on. I was sure that not only would I not receive a GRE-waiver, but I would also not get in. If you have relevant experience, your persistant, get great recommendations, and show you will succeed, you can go a long way to overcome that poor CGA GPA. I can almost promise you that your GPA is higher than my CGA GPA.
That undergrad GPA never kept me from doing well in my master's program. Eventually I was recruited by one of my professors for my current job.
On my last day in the classroom, during the final day of our capstone project presenations, the program director came to me and said "LITS, we took a chance on you, and you never let me down." It was nice to hear. No everyone will take a chance on you, especially with the pathetic undergrad GPA I pulled, but if they do, don't let 'em down.