<p>To the OP:</p>
<p>30 years down the line when you’re attending a HS or college reunion it will come as a shock to you just how many “low achievers” have attained high success and equally as shocking just how many “high achievers” turned out to be just average or worse. </p>
<p>Trust me, it WILL happen.</p>
<p>Correlation does not imply causation.</p>
<p>[xkcd</a> - A Webcomic - Correlation](<a href=“http://xkcd.com/552]xkcd”>xkcd: Correlation)</p>
<p>Just b/c they had a lower GPA does not mean NASA wanted them to have a low GPA. We’re more than numbers – aren’t we?</p>
<p>I LOVE Webcomic!</p>
<p>[xkcd</a> - A Webcomic - Duty Calls](<a href=“http://xkcd.com/386/]xkcd”>xkcd: Duty Calls)</p>
<p>I have a 3.1 GPA and I have gotten internships over people with a higher GPA than me. Of course, I also have a lot of extracurricular activities and that gives me a serious edge.</p>
<p>I also have a friend with a 2.7 GPA who recently got a great 8-month internship (for the summer and fall, $18/hour). The guy has amazing people skills and simply rocks interviews.</p>
<p>As others have said, a high GPA can help you get to the interview (although it’s by no means the only factor), but from there on, basically everyone goes back to the same starting point.</p>
<p>85% of future success deals with relationships, people skills, and “softer skills”
15% of future success deals with technical ability</p>
<p>There’s not much difference between a 3.8 GPA and a 3.2 GPA in a lot of companies’ eyes… it comes down to personality and are they able to communicate well.</p>
<p>Based on the two rejected students’ ridiculous rationalizations for why they didn’t get accepted, I can certainly see why NASA didn’t want them, if their attitudes came through in the interview at all. Who wants to hire arrogant twits who pathetically rationalize away their failures and think that they’re too good for your work?</p>
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<p>No, this is silly. Internships are a major source of future full-time employees for many companies/government entities/etc.</p>
<p>I mean, they got to the interview. Anyone who got to the interview, NASA thought their paper credentials were good enough. The point of the interview is to 1) see whether your competence when faced with technical questions by your interviewers is up to the standards of your paper credentials, and 2) to make sure that you’re someone who would be reasonably pleasant to work with.</p>