Please read this before focusing too much on grades/elite colleges

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/08/opinion/college-gpa-career-success.html#commentsContainer

My kids, who were mediocre high school students, excelled in college and have happy, fulfilled lives. Your kids can, too.

I've been in recruiting meetings at work ... we don't have the time to give everyone a chance, we have feeder colleges that have a history of giving us the talent we need and we literally won't even look at your resume with less than a 3.7 (software filters). The Times produces a lot of bullsh*t click-bait for the masses. All the big time journalists there send their kids to elite colleges. Kristof kids Harvard ... Charles Blow son at Yale ... on and on and on.

You and your company are missing out.

DP. They, probably, are, but it is not the point. And the point is, there are always fewer coveted spots than there are applicants, so if your uncle doesn't sit on the company's board and/or you aren't at an Ivy making good grades, your access to certain well-paid jobs will be somewhat restricted.
This is not to say that these jobs will necessarily lead to one's happiness and personal fullfillment, but if getting the job is your current goal..

I agree, with the caveat that the impact of a brand-name college is also field and occuption-dependent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my favorite pearls of wisdom from med school: “do you know what they call the person who graduated last in their med school class?”...”Doctor”.

And just what kind of residences do you suppose said Doctor is going to get?

[Anonymous]

In high demand fields it only matters if your degree is from an accredited institution and you have a good personality (interview well)

[Anonymous]

OK, I'm going to make the counterargument, specifically with respect to grades.

When I'm looking at a resume and I see great grades (which does not mean 4.0, I mean a strong 3.7 and up) coupled with other activities (could be job, sport, significant club commitment) - this tells me that this a person who has figured out how to juggle multiple responsibilities and manage their time; if at least some classes are more writing-heavy, has demonstrated some proficiency in writing skills; and this person has the persistence and drive to succeed even where the class is not interesting or doesn't catch their fancy. These are all very valuable qualities in an employee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on hiring committee and we no longer consider Ivy League graduates. Too many of them were demanding "leave" for personal travel and special perks. They weren't good team players or "out of box" thinkers. I'm in journalism and, believe me, not all the NYTimes journalists send their kids to elite schools. Not by a long shot.

You're a journalist and your employer has a ban on Ivy graduates? I find that somewhat hard to believe because I don't think any industry as is pedigree obsessed as journalism is. Penn and Columbia both have fabulous and world famous journalism programs but you won't consider students from those schools?

+1. Also pp’s overuse of quotes makes this a little suspect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In high demand fields it only matters if your degree is from an accredited institution and you have a good personality (interview well)

This forum is overrun with directional U tailgate state slums repeating this absurd BS. Go back to college confidential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, I'm going to make the counterargument, specifically with respect to grades.

When I'm looking at a resume and I see great grades (which does not mean 4.0, I mean a strong 3.7 and up) coupled with other activities (could be job, sport, significant club commitment) - this tells me that this a person who has figured out how to juggle multiple responsibilities and manage their time; if at least some classes are more writing-heavy, has demonstrated some proficiency in writing skills; and this person has the persistence and drive to succeed even where the class is not interesting or doesn't catch their fancy. These are all very valuable qualities in an employee.

+1 I regularly hire interns and I care about GPA and what else they are doing with their time. I really don't care what the college is although I do have a bias against Ivys. I might interview but will really probe for entitlement issues. My dad always refused to hire Ivy grads which I thought was ridiculous until I had a direct-report early in my career who told me to my face that she didn't think she should have to spend so much time faxing things because she went to Penn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, I'm going to make the counterargument, specifically with respect to grades.

When I'm looking at a resume and I see great grades (which does not mean 4.0, I mean a strong 3.7 and up) coupled with other activities (could be job, sport, significant club commitment) - this tells me that this a person who has figured out how to juggle multiple responsibilities and manage their time; if at least some classes are more writing-heavy, has demonstrated some proficiency in writing skills; and this person has the persistence and drive to succeed even where the class is not interesting or doesn't catch their fancy. These are all very valuable qualities in an employee.

+1 I regularly hire interns and I care about GPA and what else they are doing with their time. I really don't care what the college is although I do have a bias against Ivys. I might interview but will really probe for entitlement issues. My dad always refused to hire Ivy grads which I thought was ridiculous until I had a direct-report early in my career who told me to my face that she didn't think she should have to spend so much time faxing things because she went to Penn.

Biased much. All this from one single experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on hiring committee and we no longer consider Ivy League graduates. Too many of them were demanding "leave" for personal travel and special perks. They weren't good team players or "out of box" thinkers. I'm in journalism and, believe me, not all the NYTimes journalists send their kids to elite schools. Not by a long shot.

You're a journalist and your employer has a ban on Ivy graduates? I find that somewhat hard to believe because I don't think any industry as is pedigree obsessed as journalism is. Penn and Columbia both have fabulous and world famous journalism programs but you won't consider students from those schools?

Penn has a famous journalism program? Maybe it has a good journalism program, but I don't think it's famous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't have an issue with this. If colleges take this approach is actually awesome news for DC! However, I also don't see the point of putting down the straight A student ("conformity" & "missing out socially")

I know so many partiers who got straight As. There is more than one profile of an A student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/08/opinion/college-gpa-career-success.html#commentsContainer

My kids, who were mediocre high school students, excelled in college and have happy, fulfilled lives. Your kids can, too.

I've been in recruiting meetings at work ... we don't have the time to give everyone a chance, we have feeder colleges that have a history of giving us the talent we need and we literally won't even look at your resume with less than a 3.7 (software filters). The Times produces a lot of bullsh*t click-bait for the masses. All the big time journalists there send their kids to elite colleges. Kristof kids Harvard ... Charles Blow son at Yale ... on and on and on.

I recently was recruited for a company: they reached out to me for a high level job. I am a PhD Scientist, working for 25 years. PhD is from a good school; and I have won internationally recognized awards. My efforts are responsible for about 4 million per year in revenue.

I was rejected because of my college GPA. WTF?

hmmm... was it a good college?

It should not matter 25 years into a carreer with an established track record. And they contacted me. I did not contact them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/08/opinion/college-gpa-career-success.html#commentsContainer

My kids, who were mediocre high school students, excelled in college and have happy, fulfilled lives. Your kids can, too.

I've been in recruiting meetings at work ... we don't have the time to give everyone a chance, we have feeder colleges that have a history of giving us the talent we need and we literally won't even look at your resume with less than a 3.7 (software filters). The Times produces a lot of bullsh*t click-bait for the masses. All the big time journalists there send their kids to elite colleges. Kristof kids Harvard ... Charles Blow son at Yale ... on and on and on.

You and your company are missing out.

DP. They, probably, are, but it is not the point. And the point is, there are always fewer coveted spots than there are applicants, so if your uncle doesn't sit on the company's board and/or you aren't at an Ivy making good grades, your access to certain well-paid jobs will be somewhat restricted.
This is not to say that these jobs will necessarily lead to one's happiness and personal fullfillment, but if getting the job is your current goal..

There are plenty of high paying jobs for everyone. I wouldn’t stress about this. Most people don’t attend Ivy League schools.

Only reason to really care is the fact this is perpetuating privilege.

[Anonymous]

Here is a simple question for all that claim grades are not important. Ok, sure, but working hard often translates to good grades, right? So, you are hiring and you do see the grades.... if a young person seems smart but grades are low doesn't that translate to lazy worker? And if grades are good doesn't that translate to hard worker?
Ads for PhD with 25 years of experience not getting a job bcs of grades 25 years ago... that is so stupid and insane. 25 years ago B was a B, now B is A+ in college. Curved grading, my something. Nothing but making sure that all these students pay for the next semester.

[Anonymous]

I didn't have an amazing GPA coming out of my NESCAC school in the 90's (maybe a B- average) but it never stopped me from getting good jobs because I had to work three jobs just to pay for college and I made sure employers knew that when I interviewed post-college. Most people back then at my school were having their tuition paid by parents as well as getting extra spending money and they spent lots of free time hanging out and partying, not even needing a work study job. Meanwhile I had multiple jobs all the time and actually paid 100% of my tuition (after financial aid it was about $6K/year plus books). I must say that employers were more impressed with that than if I had come out with a 4.0. I've done very well since then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't have an amazing GPA coming out of my NESCAC school in the 90's (maybe a B- average) but it never stopped me from getting good jobs because I had to work three jobs just to pay for college and I made sure employers knew that when I interviewed post-college. Most people back then at my school were having their tuition paid by parents as well as getting extra spending money and they spent lots of free time hanging out and partying, not even needing a work study job. Meanwhile I had multiple jobs all the time and actually paid 100% of my tuition (after financial aid it was about $6K/year plus books). I must say that employers were more impressed with that than if I had come out with a 4.0. I've done very well since then.

Yes but grad schools still care. I’m going back after a 30-year hiatus and for this program all <3.0 applicants have to take the GRE. Some won’t even consider applicants below 3.0, GRE or not, with or without a jobs story.