UGBA 103 and Finance job

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>Hello all,</p>

<p>I am an Econ major taking UGBA 103-- Intro to Finance. I am taking it to gain a more solid background in finance so that I can apply for potential banking jobs/other financial internships. However, on my first day of class, I learned about the strict Haas curve, which I was unaware of. I am strongly considering taking it P/NP just so it doesn't affect my GPA. (I intend on replacing the class with another Econ elective, since I know that the major won't accept it if it's P/NP).
I also plan on taking future finance classes (133 for instance) afterward for a letter grade since the curve isn't as strict.</p>

<p>My main concern is that if I don't take it for a letter grade, employers might not even give me an interview. However, my high GPA would remain, since I won't have to worry about the small chance of getting an A. </p>

<p>Any advice? Much appreciated!</p>

2

<p>Almost all firms don’t look at your transcript when deciding whether to give you an interview. Out of curiosity, what is the grade distribution?</p>

3

<p>What comes up in a search is this:</p>

<p><a href=“http://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/mopp/Teaching/FAQ.pdf[/url]”>http://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/mopp/Teaching/FAQ.pdf&lt;/a&gt; says:</p>

<p>

</p>

4

<p>30% for some type of A is pretty standard in my book.</p>

5

<p>^^ close enough. the curve being imposed in my core classes are:
10% A
15% A-
20% B+
25% B
15% B-
10% C+
5% C or below
again, pretty standard.</p>

6

<p>The curve this year is more set in stone since the distribution is 10% A, 15% A-.
If it’s true that they only look at transcript to verify GPA and not necessarily the courses themselves then it seems to be okay. But this class is taught by a new professor and I don’t know what to expect. Obviously, I’ll work hard until the P/NP deadline but I’m still not sure if it’s better to get a P or a B if the employers look at the courses I have taken. </p>

<p>thanks…</p>

7

<p>what’s your GPA? Bulge brackets consider gpa’s of 3.7++. If you’re below that then you have to do some insane networking from what I understand.</p>

8

<p>Right now I am above a 3.7. I know that if I get a B in the class my GPA will remain high, but if they see that I want to go into Finance and couldn’t get an A in the core class, would it be better to get a Pass grade instead?</p>

9

<p>Since a P can mean anything from an A+ to C-, and since people taking courses P/NP tend to be the ones less confident in their ability in the courses, someone who is concerned enough about that particular course grade may assume that a P is more likely to have a C behind it than an A behind it. Of course, it may not matter if someone is just looking at overall GPA, where P (or NP) is not counted at all.</p>

10

<p>I highly doubt employers will analyze your transcript like this…</p>