<p>Hi everyone, </p>
<p>Please don't flame me for this. My gpa is at 2.93 majoring in Finance at UIUC. After this semester I should get either a 3.0, 2.99, or 2.98. Do you think it is safe to round up to 3.0 if my gpa is 2.98 or 2.99? My school's career website has a system where you can't apply to certain jobs if you don't meet the gpa requirements. I plan on applying to the big 4 firms with that gpa in hopes of getting an interview. Thank you in advance for all your responses!</p>
<p>Round it up if you want…but Big 4 will ask you for your transcript. Also, my school had job postings with GPA requirements. It was always my understanding that they had your GPA in their system and it automatically disqualifies you when you don’t meet the GPA requirement…there was no way to get around it.</p>
<p>I’ll be upfront and say that your resume better be VERY impressive outside of your GPA to get an interview. Do you have leadership positions? Have you had other internships? </p>
<p>We just finished recruiting season and I do first round interviews. Anyone with a 3.2 GPA or lower were told upfront that their GPA was lower than what we normally considered, but the very few we did interview had very impressive ECs. None were invited to 2nd round interviews though.</p>
<p>I would be prepared to have backups to the Big 4.</p>
<p>I know my school’s guidelines for recruitment specified that GPA must be rounded to two decimal places, but I suppose that isn’t a universal rule.</p>
<p>Regarding getting interviews, as I recall, most companies who are on campus for interviews have specific time slots, and if nobody has filled them by the day of the interviews, they will interview additional people. No idea if that would help overcome a lower GPA, though</p>
<p>I guarantee you that the big4 will not have empty slots. And I concur with what workingatbig4 - have backups. Public accounting (big or small) is very, probably, too competitive for students with GPA’s below 3.5 (at my school), much less 3.0s. Apply for all CPA firms, corporate, gov…etc. You might end up finding something really special that you would not have found otherwise. </p>
<p>At my school, we input our GPA’s into the system as well. umm…i think it wouldnt be horrible to round it up on career services. I’m pretty sure that companies do not see anything that you write up in your careerlink “profile.” HOWEVER, never round up that GPA to a 3.0 on your resume or application materials or anything that the company you are targeting is going to see. That is a big no no and will get you fired. Also, be prepared for companies to find out your GPA is actually sub-3.0, and not consider you further if that is what their recruiting policies dictate, because that could happen as well. </p>
<p>The biggest downside , of rounding on your universities job search website, I see happening, is if career services gets mad at you for doing so…but I seriously doubt they would do anything about it except for make you change it back; especially if you just said you were rounding.</p>