<p>What is considered to be an acceptable GPA for decent internships and grad schools? Would a 3.4-3.5 suffice? A B+ is a 3.33, I believe, and even that's quite hard to attain in some classes. How much can having the name of an elite college on a resume help?</p>
<p>The real question is…</p>
<p>“How much an having the name of an elite college on a resume help these days?”.</p>
<p>Not as much as in the past.</p>
<p>In my industry, the power of an elite degree is as real as ever. I don’t think any job/internship is closed to someone with interesting attributes who has a 3.5 at an elite college.</p>
<p>To get a top job, you still need a top GPA, regardless of how “elite” your college is. When you are down in the low 3s, however, you could get lucky by being at a top undergraduate program. I’ve had employers tell me in interviews that they only recruit at top schools, but that just means that your competition is greater! In essence, don’t rely on your school’s reputation to get you ANYTHING!</p>
<p>“I don’t think any job/internship is closed to someone with interesting attributes who has a 3.5 at an elite college.”</p>
<p>Only for exceptional cases such as varsity football players, skiers, etc. during these times.</p>
<p>Well… a so-so GPA would rarely cut it regardless of your university’s reputation. For example, I was looking at grad schools - Oxford and Cambridge - and they don’t even consider a student if he/she has a gpa below 3.7. A low gpa shows that you aren’t very dedicated; and as a college student, it is your performance in coursework that they are looking at it. Of course that isn’t to say that if you were holding down a full time job and/or involved with meaningful extracurricular activities, that your gpa can’t be overlooked. </p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>Lots and lots of people get into quality grad schools with GPAs just above the 3.0 mark - sometimes lower. It’s highly dependent on one’s discipline, research experience, grade trend, recommendations, GRE scores, professional background, etc.</p>