<p>What is GENERALLY (I know it's hard to say, answering from personal experience is fine) a good GPA to have as a graduating Aerospace Engineer?</p>
<p>That is to say, what will an employer be satisfied with and say: "sure, this applicant worked hard in college and shows good effort".</p>
<p>I'm fully aware that having the highest GPA is always the best, but what I'm asking is what an average employer would see from a good Aeronautical Engineering graduates GPA.</p>
<p>Answer to the best of your ability please.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for the help, I'm a nervous freshman in the program, just got a 2.7 for first semester GPA :-(</p>
<p>Indeed it’s hard to say. Your GPA will also depend on the school you’re going to. A 3.0 at a top university will mean more than a 3.0 at a lower ranked school. I go to RPI which definitely does not give easy grades and the average GPA actually ends up being a bit below 3.0 I believe. I am a junior and have a 3.7, so believe me, it is completely possible, and I also am involved in other things around campus.</p>
<p>Your 2.7 is low, but if you work hard in your classes and don’t slack off, you still have plenty of time to bring it up. I know plenty of freshmen with low gpas because college life is different than high school and it takes some getting used to.</p>
<p>Most employers will post the minimum GPA they require for a job - but if you want a good chance you will want a higher GPA than the minimum since there is quite a bit of competition in the field. If you want an actual number, I’d guess if you graduate with a 3.5 you’re probably good to go.</p>
<p>Also, a bit of advice would be to find some undergraduate research, internships, and do extracurricular activities since employers like to see that you’re involved in your education beyond grades.</p>
<p>As George said, it varies dependent upon which school you attend. Many aerospace companies have “target” schools that they prefer or sometimes only recruit from. If you are attending one of these schools, above a 3.0 is sufficient if you get some experience in design teams, related work, or research as an undergrad. Otherwise I’d say a 3.2-3.5 will keep you pretty competitive, and above a 3.5 will keep you at a great position. It all depends on your circumstances as GPA is not the only indicator companies/grad schools look at. My advice: get involved in aerospace related stuff early, and consistently, and study your butt off.</p>
<p>You have 11 more semesters (or more) to get things right. Don’t get caught up in your first semester grades, try to figure out why they were so low and work on improving some areas that will help you succeed. I’m by no means knowledgable of what is the acceptable GPA, but instead of worrying about that I would focus on making things right so that you don’t have to worry about this anymore.</p>