Importance of College GPA?

Parent Cafe
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<p>Hello parents,</p>

<p>I decided to post this on the Parent Forum because I figured that adults (parents) that have already been in the work force would have a better perspective on this issue.</p>

<p>I am currently an undergraduate student in a top university, and am trying to decide on what major to pursue. I had originally been planning to pursue a major in the social sciences, but recently realized that I am not very interested in working in the career fields that are normally available to graduates with this major. Up until now, I have been taking courses in this major and have done exceedingly well. If I continued to pursue this major, I could graduate with a GPA very close to 4.0.</p>

<p>However, I recently began taking some courses that are more oriented towards engineering/technology. These courses are significantly more challenging for me, but they are also my most enjoyable courses. I can see myself working in a field related to technology, and believe that I would be rather happy with such a career.</p>

<p>My dilemma is that I am not as "naturally talented" in technology as I am in the social sciences. If I continue to pursue this path, I would most likely graduate with a significantly lower GPA -- probably around a 3.5 (if I had to make an estimate at this point). I work hard and enjoy the challenge, but I realize that in order to secure a job and excel in one's chosen career field, one must have a track record of success in that field. Additionally, in this job market, and especially in the technology sector, I know that talent and skill is highly valued.</p>

<p>So, to summarize, my question is two-fold. First, how important is GPA in securing a job right out of college, especially in the more technical fields? Is the actual GPA important, or is it more likely that most employers simply look for a GPA that is above some threshold level?</p>

<p>Second (and this is more based on opinion or anecdotal experiences), is it a mistake to pursue a career in a field that I am not necessarily very good at? I know it seems incredibly ironic that I am shying away from the activities in which I am most skilled to an activity in which I am average, at best. Is there truth to the fact that, if one enjoys something, one will eventually succeed due to the extra work or effort that they will put in?</p>

<p>Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated!</p>

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<p>The most important thing is that you pick a major that you enjoy and will want to do for a living. Engineering requires a strong math and science background.</p>

<p>As far as GPA, I would not recommend picking a major based on your GPA. It’s much more important to pick a major that you want to work in than a major you’ll get a high GPA.</p>

<p>In college, I think it is important to learn as much as you can in the classes. For some (especially engineers), striving for a high GPA is the reward for learning a lot and gives good incentive to focus on the classes. But engineers get hired whether they have a 2.1, 2.9, 3.5, or 3.9 GPA. Once you get your first job, nobody will care about your GPA. (I no longer put mine on my resume because my work experience is more interesting.)</p>

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<p>To add to that post though, I can look at my college’s recruitment website (for engineering) and see a lot of jobs which say they want a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, 3.3 GPA, 3.5 GPA, 3.7 GPA (which is really restrictive since that’s like top 3% here). But there are plenty that also have no minimum (though I guess you’d need at least a 1.7 to graduate…) Though again, these are only for entry level jobs. </p>

<p>But if you can get a 3.5 in Engineering you’re going to be in great shape for a job. Probably better than with a near-4.0 in SS, unless you go to a very top school.</p>

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<p>A tech degree with a 3.5 is virtually always more useful in the job market than a social science degree with a 3.95. </p>

<p>There are other factors to consider like what you’d be giving up outside the world of academics if you went with a harder tech degree but in a purely academic sense of what would be better in the jobs market, the tech degree wins by far.</p>

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<p>Shoot, an engineering degree with a 1.7 is more valuable than a social science degree with a 4.0.</p>

<p>QwertyKey, I’ve never had a single employer verify my college GPA. While they might put a 3.5 on their position critera, you’ll find they have many sub 3.5 graduates working there.</p>

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<p>Really, I was told here they just throw your application away if you don’t have the minimum GPA (and that lying about your GPA will get you ****ed). Are you talking about entry level jobs or non-entry level jobs?</p>

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<p>Think about it: What do engineers do that graduate with less than a 3.7? Do you think they all starve to death or work in non-engineering positions? No, they get hired as an engineer. It might not be the place that says 3.7 minimum but they still get hired as an engineer.</p>

<p>What about social scientists? Well, they get hired too but not usually as a social scientist unless they go into teaching. It’s more likely they take a sales job or work at a bank or do whatever pays the bills.</p>

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<p>The GPA has some importance from a few perspectives - </p>

<ul>
<li><p>If you decide to go to grad school they pay attention to GPA. However, quite a few engineering majors don’t go to grad school and still have excellent opportunities.</p></li>
<li><p>If you want to get an internship, which is recommended when an engineering major, some places won’t take you if you’re under a 3.0 but other places will so it’s not a make or break issue.</p></li>
<li><p>When you apply for a job upon graduation some companies won’t hire someone below a 3.0 but many will so there’s some limitation but one isn’t shut out.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>As you probably know by now getting a very high GPA in engineering at a rigorous college is usually more difficult than getting a high GPA at the same college in a humanties major. </p>

<p>Regardless, a 3.5 would be excellent for an engineering major and a 3.0 would be fine. Lower GPAs usually do okay also because people realize it’s engineering and can be a tough major.</p>

<p>For getting a job the employer will look at your major, probably care about what college you attended, will look at any internships or other relevant experience you have, and will probably look at the GPA as well but unless it’s a company that has the 3.0 cutoff or a handful of other companies specifically looking for a high GPA, this will be less important than the other factors and a 3.0 and sometimes less will be considered fine.</p>

<p>Regarding ‘being good at’ the field, you’ll know this more once you’ve actually pursued your major some more. You probably don’t really know whether you’re good at it or not at this point. And you can’t compare yourself to others who’ve already had some classes or other experience in the area. Eventually you’ll be at their level as far as classes/experience also. If you can manage to get through the major at a college with a fairly rigorous program and can do it with a decent GPA (for engineering - something like a 2.5 on up), then you can assume you’re probably pretty good at it. If you start taking the courses and discover you just don’t ‘get’ most of it and do fairly lousy on the tests and projects then maybe it’s not the major for you.</p>

<p>If you have an interest in engineering then I suggest just forging ahead and taking some classes in it and seeing how it goes. It’ll be important in your life to be doing something that interests you and many people enjoy a challenge.</p>

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<p>GPA does matter, in terms that employers will usually hire the person with the higher GPA (I mean, if you were an employer, hiring an entry level person, and you have two applicants with equal experience levels (both low) wouldn’t you do that too?) </p>

<p>HOWEVER you should major in what makes you happy, not in what will get you the highest GPA. Even if you have a lower GPA in a technical field, if you want to apply to technical jobs, it will be more important that you majored in that field than that you got a 4.0 in, say, English. If it’s an engineering firm they’ll take the 1.7 engineering major over the 4.0 English major. </p>

<p>And I would point out now that you don’t know, on the basis of just a few courses, how good you will be at the actual career. For one thing, working on the job is way different from taking classes, and for another thing, you’re just starting out in something you have no background in it, of course you’re not going to do as well! You’ve been studying English for 12 years! You’ve been studying technical subjects for a few months! Give yourself time to build a knowledge base and grow a little. You might surprise yourself.</p>

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<p>

I’ve employed people and wouldn’t necessarily do that. The other key factor is the individual themselves and how well they do in the interview. This includes their personality, their ability to present themselves, their comfort factor, how well it’s expected that they’d fit in with the rest of the team, whether they’d be assertive enough, whether they’re too full of themselves, etc. This would definitely trump the GPA for me and has when I’ve hired people in the technical field (software engineers, tech writers). It’s difficult to find people who are equal in everything but the GPA once one gets to the factors beyond what’s on paper. Any employer that bases their decision almost solely on the ‘paper credentials’ is making a mistake IMO.</p>

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<p>I think a high GPA is always preferrable to a low GPA. But a low GPA is preferrable to no GPA at all.</p>

<p>In engineering, you can get hired as an engineer as long as you have a diploma. You can get licensed regardless of your GPA.</p>

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<p>As a recruiting Director I have hired many an experienced computer engineer in my time. And many who volunteered that they did not have the greatest college career. We never checked school credentials any further then verifying the degree and subsequent certifications. We were looking for verifiable experience and testable skills. It is my experience that there is almost no correlation between academic performance and later professional achievement.</p>

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<p>“What about social scientists? Well, they get hired too but not usually as a social scientist unless they go into teaching. It’s more likely they take a sales job or work at a bank or do whatever pays the bills.”</p>

<p>Right, none of us become psychologists, social workers, researchers, economists, journalists, politicians, diplomats, lobbyists, editors, authors, curators, copywriters, speech pathologists, teachers, government employees, lawyers, or anthropologists or do anything else that requires a college degree. We’re all doomed to spend our lives in studio apartments, working as bank managers and living paycheck to paycheck. </p>

<p>I don’t want to hijack this thread, but I found what you said pretty insulting and incredibly ignorant.</p>

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<p>I work at a company that employees thousands of engineers. Starting salary for new hires right out of school is based, in part, on GPA. That said, it is still a good salary for even those at the bottom end of the scale. And I would never not consider hiring someone with a low gpa until I interviewed them. I will hire a motivated, hard working individual over a smart not so motivated individual.</p>

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<p>^I concur with percpaul’s statement. I can’t believe that people are saying some of these things.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Engineering firms are not wholly composed of engineers. English majors, while obviously not the majority in engineering firms, could potentially find jobs in engineering firms. As well, a 4.0 in any liberal arts major shows that one is mentally competent and possesses critical thinking skills that are valuable to any firm - skills that anyone with a 1.7 in anything most likely cannot claim to have. </p>

<p>

I’m assuming you’re saying this relative to engineering firms because otherwise this statement is completely baffling to me (or, you’re being sarcastic?). Someone with a 1.7 in engineering surely does not have competency in the subject-matter that they majored in and, being a prospective social sciences/humanities major myself, a 4.0 in any non-science/non-engineering field does not necessarily mean that one is lacking in competency in the sciences. </p>

<p>I hope that this post is largely ignored and that you guys can fulfill the original purpose of this thread, but, please, do not degrade us whom are non-science/non-engineering majors.</p>

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<p>The original purpose of the thread was debating whether to do social science and get a high GPA or do engineering with a lower GPA. My answer than an engineering degree with a 1.7 is more valuable than a social science degree with a 4.0 is accurate and true, and also answers the original purpose of the thread.</p>

<p>That’s not putting down social science majors. The fact of the matter is there are certain majors that the size of the workforce is smaller than the demand, and there are others that the size of the workforce exceeds demand. Engineering falls into one of these categories and social workers also falls into one of the catergories. Both are noble professions that have their own rewards, but the laws of supply and demand mean that one of the professions receives more benefits than the other, and one of the professions is more willing to overlook poor grades. It’s not a put down at all, but a fact of life and something valuable for a person considering a particular major.</p>

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<p>We all have a right to our opinions.</p>

<p>Me, I would pay attention to the parents on this forum who state that they hire employees. The key to getting a job is getting hired, after all.</p>

<p>Let’s get back to one of Qwertykey’s questions … you asked entry level or non entry level. My own experience is that most employers don’t care about GPA for experienced employees (the government sometimes does, from the standpoint of a certain GPA being allowed as a substitute for actual experience in certain jobs). For entry level, it varies. Some employers may make a cut to the resumes based on GPA - as one of probably several factors - if they have a ton of resumes on file. Others are more holistic. </p>

<p>Always choose to do what interests you. The rest will follow. Live your life in such a way that you enjoy what you study, enjoy what you do, enjoy who you are with. Success is more than a job with a certain salary or a position with a particular title. REALLY.</p>