Would you let your child remain away at university if they were only earning a 2.0-2.5 gpa?

[Anonymous]

I think it all comes down to...are they trying their best? If they are, and those are their grades, for god sake don't pull them out. It sends a horrible message that you don't think their best is good enough. It is to the university since those are still diploma-level grades.

If on the other hand they have those grades because they're blowing off studying and turning in work, it's time to knuckle under and change their work habits at school, and a conversation about doing so.

The exact thing happened to me. Studied hard in high school and had a high GPA, got to college and had fun freshman year. Didn't do so hot grade-wise, partly because of partying and partly because of diploma requirement classes that weren't my strength (2.5GPA). My parents had a time-to-knuckle-down conversation with me and moving forward I was more serious about classes. Graduated almost cum laude overall and 3.8 in major-related classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid graduated from one of the big 3 private schools in the DMV with a 2.8 GPA. He attended UVA on a partial athletic scholarship and graduated with a 2.1 GPA in accounting major two years ago. He got his first job through a Sidwell alumni, who played the same sport and graduated twenty years ago, for 90K/yr with bonus. He just got promoted to director of sale with a salary of 300k/yr. Networking is 100 times more important than grade.

My gosh, talk about apples and oranges.

Member of very elite prep school network != Joe Shmoe

D1 student-athlete != Joe Shmoe

Top 25 US News != Joe Shmoe at one of the 2,000 degree mill colleges in the US

Practical and marketable credential like accounting or computer science != Joe Shmoe with a 2.22 GPA in soft science, communications or humanities

[Anonymous]

What strings are there to pull for a 2.1 GPA college grad? Who's going to risk their career on your apparently lazy and poor judgment kid? Seriously. Maybe if they're at an Ivy and you're some bigshot lobbyist or pol. But other than that, why put your neck out for such a low-achieving friend's kid?

[Anonymous]

C's get degrees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once you get that first job GPA never matters again.

Oh. So grades do or don’t matter? Why do college kids even try? What’s the point?

It's harder to get that first job, and have it be a good job, with a crappy GPA. Some recruiters won't even look at anyone with less than 3.5 GPA.

I have access to my daughter's college employment portal. Every internship has a 3.0 GPA cutoff and the more prestigious positions are all 3.5 GPA cutoff. I'm not sure what fantasy world parents live in where college GPA doesn't matter. And half of my daughter's class will head to grad school, where grades obviously matter.

Of course it matters, but lacking a good enough GPA for an internship doesn't mean it is time for seppuku. There are many paths to a good life.

As for grad school: clearly this kid isn't going any time soon. But again, there are many paths to a good life.

[Anonymous]

I can REALLY see where some of these kids get their attitudes.

School is not for learning, grades are not important, effort is for suckers.

Lovely role models are always in view on DCUM.

Explains so much about why America is the way America is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine had a 2.7 and then a 2.2 Freshman year. He stayed, got his act together, got at least a 3.0 rest of his time, accepted a job offer in October of his senior year (computer science major), moved to a city where he knew no one and now is happy and independent! I think the answer is ...there is no one answer. Does your kid recognize that they have not done as well as they can? Mine did hence the continued support

Congrats to your kid, and to you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:College was a rough transition for me. I went from easy As across the board in high school into a very challenging college STEM program. I had to learn to study for the first time. I got a lot of Cs the first year or two, and some worse. Midway through 2nd year I was hovering in the 2-2.5 range but starting to pull it together. Got things sorted out by 3rd year, and finished with something like a 3.4 cumulative (could be off a tenth point or two, I don’t exactly remember).

I’m really glad my parents didn’t pull me after year 1 or 2.

- Now earning $200k+ in a career I love, but never would have been able to get started without finishing that degree.

My kid sounds a lot like you did as a freshman. He's a sophomore now, and working hard. I hope his story is like yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can REALLY see where some of these kids get their attitudes.

School is not for learning, grades are not important, effort is for suckers.

Lovely role models are always in view on DCUM.

Explains so much about why America is the way America is.

C'mon, no one is saying that. Don't be a disingenuous troll.

What people are saying is that given two options: A degree with subpar grades or no degree -- you can still succeed with the former.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine had a 2.7 and then a 2.2 Freshman year. He stayed, got his act together, got at least a 3.0 rest of his time, accepted a job offer in October of his senior year (computer science major), moved to a city where he knew no one and now is happy and independent! I think the answer is ...there is no one answer. Does your kid recognize that they have not done as well as they can? Mine did hence the continued support

Congrats to your kid, and to you!

Comp sci is hard and they don't give As for effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can REALLY see where some of these kids get their attitudes.

School is not for learning, grades are not important, effort is for suckers.

Lovely role models are always in view on DCUM.

Explains so much about why America is the way America is.

I think the term is coping? American parents of underachievers all trying to convince each other with an echo chamber that everything will work out in the end for their lazy brat. Citing random extreme outliers to prove their point is really sad and indicates an inability to think rationally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can REALLY see where some of these kids get their attitudes.

School is not for learning, grades are not important, effort is for suckers.

Lovely role models are always in view on DCUM.

Explains so much about why America is the way America is.

C'mon, no one is saying that. Don't be a disingenuous troll.

What people are saying is that given two options: A degree with subpar grades or no degree -- you can still succeed with the former.

If a degree is a degree, why piss away a massive premium for your kid to be on a 4-6 year spring break away from home? Make them move home and attend the local night/commuter college for at least 1/2 the price.

[Anonymous]

Interesting right. The families who are claiming grades don't matter DO think school name does matter.

If they really cared about learning...this would be reversed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:C's get degrees.

This. One of my kids graduated from college with a 4.0 GPA. Another one of my kids graduated (barely) with a 2.2. They both got degrees. They both have good jobs. Cs get degrees.

[Anonymous]

Cs get degrees... and then most frequently dead-end jobs in the service industry. You don't need a sociology degree to serve up latte art. I recall reading most boomerang kids who move back home to leech off parents graduated with sub-3.0 GPAs.