IB and GPA

<p>Just a quick question on the GPA req for getting in the industry. I've had a really bad freshman yr with 0.67gpa including a failed course, but in last two years including the summer after the first year, I got 3.67gpa. I've had some personal problems in the freshman year and I have had counselings and such.. Should I mention that on my resume? For eg. gpa 3.18 (3.67 excluding the freshman year)? It just seems like Im making excuses and that's not a way to make good impressions, but I know that I have no chance with the current gpa. Where do I stand? I don't have much connections and achievements, but I have had positions at school ib capital market club and was an analyst at an investment club (no real world exp so far).</p>

<p>I knew a guy who was in sort of the same position, albeit not nearly as bad. He networked like mad and explained to people what his deal was, that might work for you: reaching out to alums and such.</p>

<p>One more thing…
I just checked my transcript again and I found out that my major GPA (in financial economics) is 3.48. I think I’d have to include my cumulative gpa either way, but should I mention that my major gpa is 3.48 or that my gpa excluding freshman is 3.67 (maybe both?)?</p>

<p>You will need to submit your transcript, so they will see your fail. It also depends on what your personal problem was freshman year. IB is a very high pressure business. It creates personal problem, it doesn’t like people coming in with personal problem. </p>

<p>It sounds like you are a junior now. Most juniors who are going into IB are already working as interns at a bank this summer, often those internships turn into permanent jobs. You would be at a disadvantage interviewing for an IB job senior year.</p>

<p>It’s amazing you could turn your GPA around, from .67 to 3.18. You will include cumulative gpa for your major and overall. In a separate writeup you could explain why your GPA is low. I think it would be a tough sell, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some employers maybe impressed (I am). I would apply, but I would also look into other employment. Good luck.</p>

<p>Try to find out if your school would allow you to retake the courses you did very poorly in: they may have a policy which allows you to do that and this could help bring your GPA up.</p>

<p>What would the recruiters think if I retake the courses I failed/did poorly on? Either way, I don’t plan on doing that because the courses that I didnt do well are first year courses and Im doing so much better now so it just seems like a waste of time despite the gpa I would get</p>

<p>They won’t ask for a transcript until after the offer is extended. The only acceptable GPAs to list on a transcript are cumulative (mandatory) and concentration (optional). No bull**** like “GPA excluding freshman year”. You are going to have great difficulty with neither connections, real work experience, nor a good GPA. Particularly if you aren’t at a target. Start networking like crazy.</p>