Depressed about my kid

[Anonymous]

With an Ivy degree and a humanities major your kid could go teach abroad in Asia and enjoy his 20’s while traveling around. Something will come out of a job like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With an Ivy degree and a humanities major your kid could go teach abroad in Asia and enjoy his 20’s while traveling around. Something will come out of a job like that.

AKA going straight back to mom’s basement.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:3.7 is hardly a low GPA.

It’s low in a humanities major at a school with a good amount of grade inflation.

No, it isn’t. It may be middle of the pack at an elite/highly competitive school. But it’s certainly not a GPA that would lead a potential employer to doubt the brains or work ethic of a job candidate.

So your sophomore didn’t get a summer internship during COVID. That’s not a sign that s/he’ll be unemployable at graduation. Lots of workplaces don’t do internships even during ordinary times.

I personally wouldn’t hire OP’s kid absent something else that shows solid work ethic (i.e. varsity athlete, amazing extracurricular leadership, personal connection, prior good internship experience). The average grade at Harvard is an A minus, and the average GPA for Harvard grads in the class of 2021 (or was it 2020? I forget) is a 3.8. And that’s including STEM majors.

Columbia has much lower GPAs.

Not particularly.

-Parent of recent Columbia grad

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I only hope that you are not telling your child that despite their achievement of getting admitted into an Ivy, you are disappointed, they have already peaked and that the subject that motivates them is useless.

Unless your goal is to become estranged from your child. In that case, you are doing everything right.

Fully agree. The most cruel and heart broken thing a parent can say to his child is "you have peaked and you are wasting your time doing the useless thing"
Please don't do that. And most likely you will be proven wrong as well.

LOL as if OP will be proven wrong. Ivy grass with low GPAs and useless majors always end up being the most bitter, entitled, and underemployed people out there. OP, hope your kid enjoys downward mobility.

Mean perhaps but very true

+1

OP, if I were you, I’d force my kid to switch to CS/Econ or make them drop out of school. Your kid is well on their way to being a bitter, entitled little prick.

Hi OP!

Yup!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With an Ivy degree and a humanities major your kid could go teach abroad in Asia and enjoy his 20’s while traveling around. Something will come out of a job like that.

AKA going straight back to mom’s basement.

Are you kidding? Kid will flee this nightmare mom like his/her hair is on fire the moment they finish college.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't hire an IVY grad with a low GPA no matter which top Ivy they graduated from. That's a red flag that the couldn't care less and didn't put effort into the college work. There are so many other graduates to choose from--Ivy and non-Ivys--why should I take a chance on a low performing grad?

Do you really ask for transcripts from colleges of your hires??? Where do you work?

Have been working 30 years and have never once asked for, nor been asked for, a GPA or transcript during the hiring process.

OP here. Most of the 50 internships DC applied to required him to submit a transcript, his GPA, and (for some) SAT scores.

My son interned for JP Morgan Chase research investment division with a 2.1 GPA from Penn State as a D1 golfer. The hiring manager didn’t care about his GPA.

Different standards for athletes.

How so?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child has a 3.7 in philosophy at Columbia, you have absolutely NOTHING to worry about.

Philosophy is a VERY respected major. Among humanities, at most colleges it is one of the toughest. A 3.7 is nothing to sneeze at--especially after only 2 years. (Most students' GPAs go up their last 2 years.)

I don't know the median GPA at Columbia, but I seriously doubt it's a 3.8--probably more like a 3.6. I am absolutely positive that a 3.7 doesn't put you in the bottom quarter of the class. Even those in the bottom of the class will be able to get jobs.

Do you KNOW that the gpa was the reason your DC didn't get an internship? I doubt it. I assume there were lots of applicants and those who were successul have completed 3 years of college.

I think the GPA + useless major was part of it. The other reasons might be low relevant work experience in general (spent last summer working at Chipotle instead of at an internship) and weak ECs in college (only in fun/frivolous art clubs at Columbia and not in any serious academic or professional clubs). Most middle class Columbia students are aggressively building their resumes, taking useful classes, and finding relevant internships (both in the summer and during the school year).

Clubs are very hard to get into at Columbia. They are very competitive and social connections help. Philosophy is a well respected major. It is not easy. 3.7 is a strong GPA. It was very difficult to get an internship this year especially for first and second year students. Many companies decided not to do them because of Covid. You sound nuts. Leave your kid alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I only hope that you are not telling your child that despite their achievement of getting admitted into an Ivy, you are disappointed, they have already peaked and that the subject that motivates them is useless.

Unless your goal is to become estranged from your child. In that case, you are doing everything right.

Fully agree. The most cruel and heart broken thing a parent can say to his child is "you have peaked and you are wasting your time doing the useless thing"
Please don't do that. And most likely you will be proven wrong as well.

LOL as if OP will be proven wrong. Ivy grass with low GPAs and useless majors always end up being the most bitter, entitled, and underemployed people out there. OP, hope your kid enjoys downward mobility.

How is 3.7 a lower GPA? Columbia does not have the same grade inflation like Harvard and Yale. It is more like Cornell in that regard

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:3.7 is hardly a low GPA.

It’s low in a humanities major at a school with a good amount of grade inflation.

No, it isn’t. It may be middle of the pack at an elite/highly competitive school. But it’s certainly not a GPA that would lead a potential employer to doubt the brains or work ethic of a job candidate.

So your sophomore didn’t get a summer internship during COVID. That’s not a sign that s/he’ll be unemployable at graduation. Lots of workplaces don’t do internships even during ordinary times.

I personally wouldn’t hire OP’s kid absent something else that shows solid work ethic (i.e. varsity athlete, amazing extracurricular leadership, personal connection, prior good internship experience). The average grade at Harvard is an A minus, and the average GPA for Harvard grads in the class of 2021 (or was it 2020? I forget) is a 3.8. And that’s including STEM majors.

Harvard is famous for grade inflation. Not the same at Columbia. Columbia kicks your ass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3.7 is hardly a low GPA.

It’s low in a humanities major at a school with a good amount of grade inflation.

No, it isn’t. It may be middle of the pack at an elite/highly competitive school. But it’s certainly not a GPA that would lead a potential employer to doubt the brains or work ethic of a job candidate.

So your sophomore didn’t get a summer internship during COVID. That’s not a sign that s/he’ll be unemployable at graduation. Lots of workplaces don’t do internships even during ordinary times.

I personally wouldn’t hire OP’s kid absent something else that shows solid work ethic (i.e. varsity athlete, amazing extracurricular leadership, personal connection, prior good internship experience). The average grade at Harvard is an A minus, and the average GPA for Harvard grads in the class of 2021 (or was it 2020? I forget) is a 3.8. And that’s including STEM majors.

Columbia has much lower GPAs.

Not particularly.

-Parent of recent Columbia grad

Average GPA at Columbia School of Engineering is 3.3

[Anonymous]

McKinsey, BCG, Bain, etc love philosophy majors. He can go into management consulting if that is his thing. There are lots of small management consulting companies too. Or big government consulting companies like Booze Allen. Everyone except clueless mom knows that philosophy is a tough major

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3.7 is hardly a low GPA.

It’s low in a humanities major at a school with a good amount of grade inflation.

No, it isn’t. It may be middle of the pack at an elite/highly competitive school. But it’s certainly not a GPA that would lead a potential employer to doubt the brains or work ethic of a job candidate.

So your sophomore didn’t get a summer internship during COVID. That’s not a sign that s/he’ll be unemployable at graduation. Lots of workplaces don’t do internships even during ordinary times.

I personally wouldn’t hire OP’s kid absent something else that shows solid work ethic (i.e. varsity athlete, amazing extracurricular leadership, personal connection, prior good internship experience). The average grade at Harvard is an A minus, and the average GPA for Harvard grads in the class of 2021 (or was it 2020? I forget) is a 3.8. And that’s including STEM majors.

Columbia has much lower GPAs.

Not particularly.

-Parent of recent Columbia grad

Average GPA at Columbia School of Engineering is 3.3

Does it look like this kid is an engineering major?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McKinsey, BCG, Bain, etc love philosophy majors. He can go into management consulting if that is his thing. There are lots of small management consulting companies too. Or big government consulting companies like Booze Allen. Everyone except clueless mom knows that philosophy is a tough major

No they don’t. MBB have a clear hiring bias for STEM majors because that’s where the talent is. Ask any recruiter. The days of spending your college years “studying what you love” is over.

[Anonymous]

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought maybe the kid committed a crime, or was hooked on drugs, or is a terrible human being. But no, it seems he or she is a normal human being, who has had some great accomplishments to date, and is living a very normal (arguably nice) life as the 19/20 year old person he or she is. I’m wondering if conveying unexpected emotions such as disappointment and depression at your kid’s accomplishments to date is the very crux of what is causing your child to not be going gangbusters right now. I personally freeze up when people are hammering me with unwarranted pressure and angst. If you ease up on that, you might find you both will have a happier and healthier existence.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes when you work a kid too much in high school they burn out and peak then. It's a hard lesson.

Sometimes it's much better to let them be average and go to an ok in state university and save their energy and interests for undergrad and grad school.

Middle class and LMC teens are going to have a hard time at expensive schools, no matter how much aid they receive. Sometimes it's best to skip it and go to a university that you will fit into better.