The Importance of a GPA for grad school

[inkleind]

I need all of your thoughts on this. I want to test out of the BSBA at TESC within the year, I am taking 14 credits at my local CC in the Spring Semester and they're all pretty easy (eng1010, public speaking, film&culture, intro to intl politics) so I except a high gpa from those but what about the rest from TESC?

I want to be eligible for the University of Utah's MPA program, at a minimum, big dreaming would be an Ivy League MPA or a J.D./MPA but for a 30-something who never thought he would get a bachelors, let alone a Masters, I'm not dreaming too big yet. I just don't want to shoot myself in the foot with the GPA thing if TESC won't let me be eligible for the higher ranked programs.

Thoughts, advice, I'm totally torn on what to do.