Here’s a study with evidence of a pretty large effect of high school GPA on later college completion and earnings.

https://doi.org/10.1057/eej.2014.22

Abstract: Using abstracted grades and other data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, we investigate the relationships between cumulative high school grade point average (GPA), educational attainment, and labor market earnings among a sample of young adults (ages 24–34). We estimate several models with an extensive list of control variables and high school fixed effects. Results consistently show that high school GPA is a positive and statistically significant predictor of educational attainment and earnings in adulthood. Moreover, the coefficient estimates are large and economically important for each gender. Interesting and somewhat unexpected findings emerge for race in that, after controlling for innate ability, academic performance, and other economic and demographic variables, African Americans advance further in the formal educational system than their White counterparts. Various sensitivity tests support the stability of the core findings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I imagine the outcomes for the C student, daughter of lower middle class family with no connections, are very different than l for the C student, daughter of doctors/lawyers/corporate execs. So yeah, if your kid doesn't figure out the work ethic, you will be supporting your kid and they will not be exactly as you hoped. But if you keep them off of drugs, it won't be the end of the world although, again, not what you hoped.

The world is filled with C students who find their groove. But that does not mean that the majority of C students aren't just having C lives, professionally speaking.

What is a "C life"?

A "C" life is what people who were always overachievers imagine everyone else must be living. In other words, they can't imagine that "average" people could possibly live exciting, rewarding, fulfilling lives. You see this phenomenon daily on DCUM, especially in the college forum, where a B/C student is treated as an utter failure by some of the clueless parents there.

Uh no, this is not what I meant. I said professionally. And I stand by the statement that the vast majority of C students, who are average students, are not surgeons, scientists, lawyers, etc. They might not have "prestigious" jobs or be wealthy, but it doesn't mean they aren't doing fine. This was only in response to all the anecdotes of C students who found themselves and became industry leaders. That happens but not often.

But you don't know that. All you have are your own anecdotes and hypotheses. You're assuming that most A students are more professionally successful than C students. You're assuming that most former C students aren't now wealthy or in "prestigious" positions. You're actually assuming quite a lot. I imagine A students are more successful at things like first jobs out of college, etc. But beyond that, you really have no idea. Former C students are often the creative, innovative, resourceful, entrepreneurial types, who become very successful after lackluster school years.

Bottom line: unless there is an actual study you can link to, you really have no proof that A students do better professionally than C students.

A students grow up to work for C students. Happened in my case. My VP didn't even graduate college until recently when she did it as a personal goal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I imagine the outcomes for the C student, daughter of lower middle class family with no connections, are very different than l for the C student, daughter of doctors/lawyers/corporate execs. So yeah, if your kid doesn't figure out the work ethic, you will be supporting your kid and they will not be exactly as you hoped. But if you keep them off of drugs, it won't be the end of the world although, again, not what you hoped.

The world is filled with C students who find their groove. But that does not mean that the majority of C students aren't just having C lives, professionally speaking.

What is a "C life"?

A "C" life is what people who were always overachievers imagine everyone else must be living. In other words, they can't imagine that "average" people could possibly live exciting, rewarding, fulfilling lives. You see this phenomenon daily on DCUM, especially in the college forum, where a B/C student is treated as an utter failure by some of the clueless parents there.

Uh no, this is not what I meant. I said professionally. And I stand by the statement that the vast majority of C students, who are average students, are not surgeons, scientists, lawyers, etc. They might not have "prestigious" jobs or be wealthy, but it doesn't mean they aren't doing fine. This was only in response to all the anecdotes of C students who found themselves and became industry leaders. That happens but not often.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I imagine the outcomes for the C student, daughter of lower middle class family with no connections, are very different than l for the C student, daughter of doctors/lawyers/corporate execs. So yeah, if your kid doesn't figure out the work ethic, you will be supporting your kid and they will not be exactly as you hoped. But if you keep them off of drugs, it won't be the end of the world although, again, not what you hoped.

The world is filled with C students who find their groove. But that does not mean that the majority of C students aren't just having C lives, professionally speaking.

What is a "C life"?

A "C" life is what people who were always overachievers imagine everyone else must be living. In other words, they can't imagine that "average" people could possibly live exciting, rewarding, fulfilling lives. You see this phenomenon daily on DCUM, especially in the college forum, where a B/C student is treated as an utter failure by some of the clueless parents there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think your results are very distorted by self selection here.

My C sibling didn't go to college and works for a retail company, making about 30k a year as a 35 year old. I think this is standard.

I totally agree that B/C students can succeed because I was also one of them.
But I think there's MASSIVE selection bias by asking this question on DCUM. You're asking a group of largely successful, mostly >5%ers (many >2%ers) whether any of them got B/Cs.
Of course some did.

The majority of kids who get B/Cs don't end up with $200K jobs down the road. The vast, vast, VAST majority.

Guess What? The has vast vast vast vast vast majority of high schoolers making As also are not making 200k/yr.

You people are nuts.

Maybe not every A student -- but every top 5 or top 10 ranked student certainly has that shot. Graduated early 2000s -- classmates that graduated top 5 --2 investment bankers; lawyer in biglaw; software engineer in upper mgmt; pediatrician. So the pediatrician may not be but that was her own choice, but the rest most certainly are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a C student in high school. I got into college, got a degree and am a productive professional in my field.

I also grew up in a part of the country where parents weren't a pack of TOTAL FREAKING HELICOPTER PSYCHOS like the parents around DC seem to be.

Love this post! Yes!

+2

Anonymous wrote:Omg, this thread is nuts. You guys are acting like B/C grades are failure. WTH!

Yep. I read threads like this for the pure entertainment value. Only on DCUM!

Anonymous wrote:

I imagine the outcomes for the C student, daughter of lower middle class family with no connections, are very different than l for the C student, daughter of doctors/lawyers/corporate execs. So yeah, if your kid doesn't figure out the work ethic, you will be supporting your kid and they will not be exactly as you hoped. But if you keep them off of drugs, it won't be the end of the world although, again, not what you hoped.

The world is filled with C students who find their groove. But that does not mean that the majority of C students aren't just having C lives, professionally speaking.

What is a "C life"?

This guy is my CEO. And my idol - I had a similar gpa and college, but haven't done nearly as well!

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/13/why-tech-ceo-austin-mcchord-donated-50-million-to-his-alma-mater.html