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.

Anonymous wrote:

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).

Oh please. I graduated from Columbia. Many humanities majors didn't hustle very much before graduation and still found gainful employment when they graduated. Or they went to law school. I think every philosophy major I knew ended up in law school (eventually).

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).

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Almost every company I’ve seen/heard of (including mine) requires transcripts for new college grads.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

Anonymous wrote:3.7 is hardly a low GPA.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

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?