Importance of GPA

[burbuja0512]

To agree with some of the posters here, I have never once asked for GPA when hiring a candidate. I have seen some people list it on their resume, but I'm looking more for experience.

However, as previously mentioned, you never know what will happen. If you see the most amazing masters program that is exactly what you want to do, but they require a certain GPA, you'll be out of luck if you don't have that.

I had to make a choice regarding GPA. A very old chemistry class that I got a D in was accepted by COSC and is on my transcript. I thought about working to replace it. I opted not to for a couple of reasons. First of all, my other grades are good enough to where it won't matter. Secondly, I am mid-career and have managed to be pretty successful in sales without a bachelor's, so I really don't think at this point in my life it matters. Lastly, I DO plan on getting an MBA, and my belief is that once you have a graduate degree, your undergrad is typically less important.

It's a personal decision and of course you'll want to do your best. But depending on what you do with your life it really may not matter.

[MA2]

Everything mentioned on here is a moot point.

If you decide that "GPA isn't that important" then you won't take school as serious as you would if you knew your GPA could make or break you.

You may say that I'm wrong, but we all know if you don't think something is as vital as it is, you won't give it your full effort.

Take boot camp for example. Boot camp is really just the start of your military journey. No one cares how well you did in boot camp after you graduate and enter the "real" military. No one cares if you were the recruit division commander, did 1000 push ups, or could march better than the honor guard. Boot camp is really just to get you used to being told what to do and obeying without question, waking up early, learning rank structure, and so on.

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter how well you do in boot camp, as long as you make it through.

But if you took the attitude of "boot camp really isn't that important" when you first get there, you're going to have a much harder time and much more unwanted attention on you due to your laziness. If you take it serious, and do your best to excel, even though it probably won't matter, you never know what could happen. Maybe that E-6 that was your drill instructor could end up being the next Sergeant Major of the Army, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, and so on, and maybe he'll recognize you at some point in the future of your careers.

My point is asking if GPA is important is a silly question. All you're doing it setting yourself up for failure in my opinion.

[PonyGirl93]

Ahhhh MA2 thank you for voicing what my obsessive perfectionism was dying to throw in milelol:

[burbuja0512]

You may say that I'm wrong, but we all know if you don't think something is as vital as it is, you won't give it your full effort.

Lol MA2 you seem like you're always ready for a good debate Will it dissapoint you if I say that I do agree with your point sometimes?

Yes, if you're approaching school with a half-as$ed attitude, you will fail. I couldn't do this if I weren't giving it 150%. I'm sacrificing time with my children, husband, sleep and sanity. I don't have the best GPA out there but it doesn't mean that I'm not giving it absolutely everything that I have to give to achieve my goals.

However, the question "does GPA matter?" can't always be answered with a yes. In many fields it really doesn't matter, so I wouldn't want to lie to someone about that.

SO, if you're asking "Should I have a bad attitude and give this a 50% effort?" The answer is NO.

If you're asking "Will the C that I got in a subject that I struggled with affect my job prospects?" The answer would be, it depends. I won't speak about areas that I don't know, but in my years in B2B sales in Fortune 500 companies, no one has ever cared.

So.. OF COURSE it's better to get a good GPA, but if you don't it's not the end of the world. You could easily make up for a weak resume by volunteering or internships if you can't boast a strong GPA and/or experience. I would hire someone that volunteers on the weekends a million times over the top GPA. (Yes I know I'm straying off topic a little, just wanted to point out that there are ways to make up for weak spots on the resume.) And yes if you are even remotely concerned, don't just stop at your undergrad.

[jackzack87]

Agree.

To get back to the point of the original poster, yes, more than anything attitude matters. But we all know, as you point out buja, that it can be a case-by-case basis and the factors are plentiful. For every example where it mattered, you can find one where it didn't, and vice versa. My friend just graduated with a BA in general studies with 2.? after 7 years in school. (read: Didn't plan well, didn't really care and eventually make it through) She just landed a rather decent paying job where the only requirement was a degree in any discipline and her part-time experience.

I'm with you on the attitude and doing the best you can. Like you, people have life going on and sometimes a GPA isn't the most important thing on the list. I didn't say not important. I feel it's most important to have the right attitude, one that pushes us to be the best we can and to hold high standards.

Lol MA2 you seem like you're always ready for a good debate Will it dissapoint you if I say that I do agree with your point sometimes?

Yes, if you're approaching school with a half-as$ed attitude, you will fail. I couldn't do this if I weren't giving it 150%. I'm sacrificing time with my children, husband, sleep and sanity. I don't have the best GPA out there but it doesn't mean that I'm not giving it absolutely everything that I have to give to achieve my goals.

However, the question "does GPA matter?" can't always be answered with a yes. In many fields it really doesn't matter, so I wouldn't want to lie to someone about that.

SO, if you're asking "Should I have a bad attitude and give this a 50% effort?" The answer is NO.

If you're asking "Will the C that I got in a subject that I struggled with affect my job prospects?" The answer would be, it depends. I won't speak about areas that I don't know, but in my years in B2B sales in Fortune 500 companies, no one has ever cared.

So.. OF COURSE it's better to get a good GPA, but if you don't it's not the end of the world. You could easily make up for a weak resume by volunteering or internships if you can't boast a strong GPA and/or experience. I would hire someone that volunteers on the weekends a million times over the top GPA. (Yes I know I'm straying off topic a little, just wanted to point out that there are ways to make up for weak spots on the resume.) And yes if you are even remotely concerned, don't just stop at your undergrad.

[jmed]

Just another two cents - I haven't been asked, or heard of anyone being asked, for GPA in my field (Information Technology), outside of Wall Street and Google, who have more academia-oriented cultures for hiring. Nobody cares, really.

Also, with respect to not being able to undo a GPA, I'd point out that a number of online/distance graduate degrees I've looked at offer conditional/provisional admission, and if you do a Master's, no one will care about your undergrad GPA.

E.g., if you have a Master's GPA 3.8 with B.A. GPA 2.0, people will recognize that you were young and have matured and focused and are no longer a C student. So there's always that option.

[MA2]

Good luck getting in to a decent Masters program with a 2.0 as a GPA.

[jmed]

Good luck getting in to a decent Masters program with a 2.0 as a GPA.

What, like Harvard?

Admission: Information Technology Degree: Harvard Extension School
Admission: Liberal Arts Degree: Harvard Extension School

Just the most impressive name of the bunch, but trust me there are plenty of good Masters programs that don't care, as long as you can demonstrate you can do better now than back when you got the 2.0.

[burbuja0512]

What, like Harvard?

Admission: Information Technology Degree: Harvard Extension School
Admission: Liberal Arts Degree: Harvard Extension School

Just the most impressive name of the bunch, but trust me there are plenty of good Masters programs that don't care, as long as you can demonstrate you can do better now than back when you got the 2.0.

I think that the real problem with a low undergrad GPA and a masters program isn't that you can't find a good one. You can. (and I like the links you provided BTW!) The problem is that you just might find the perfect one for you and your career and that one could be the one with the strict requirements. Of course, with enough hunting, you will likely find another one, but if you've got a good GPA you won't limit yourself.

[MA2]

What, like Harvard?

Admission: Information Technology Degree: Harvard Extension School
Admission: Liberal Arts Degree: Harvard Extension School

Just the most impressive name of the bunch, but trust me there are plenty of good Masters programs that don't care, as long as you can demonstrate you can do better now than back when you got the 2.0.

Or you could not be lazy and not get a 2.0 in the first place and not have to worry about it?