<p>im a sophomore in upenn college of arts and sciences, major in econ. and it is so hard to get As in any class. do i really need to get above 3.5 for top tier mba programs? its so hard</p>
<p>i think if you work 3-4 years in a decent place and have 700+ gmat you should find a place at least in one of the top schools.
by the way i am also from Upenn, school of eng. Graduated last year with 3.6 and currently looking at businees school.</p>
<p>A 3.3 GPA can be overcome if you’re aiming for MBA Programs: years of experience, an excellent GMAT score, good intuition and hard work leading to great recs, etc. </p>
<p>However, a 3.3 GPA cannot be overlooked when applying to an i-banking job directly out of undergrad. For most of these, you won’t even get an interview, much less a job, with a 3.6 or higher (some leeway given to Engineering students). </p>
<p>There’s a reason it’s hard; some of the most coveted jobs out of undergrad (consulting/I-Banking) are obviously going to want only the best applicants, and by definition not everyone can be the best. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Sometimes it can just be about funding what you like to study and excelling at it; you’re only a freshman so you still have some time to bring up that GPA.</p>
<p>as roneald said, it is supposed to be hard, that is the whole point</p>