I need helpful advice for my current situation: 2.85 GPA Economics
Hey guys,
I recently graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a 2.85 GPA in Economics while working part-time as a Bank Teller at Wells Fargo (5 years work exp. I financed my education on my own). My GPA suffered due to other reasons besides work such as social life, confusion about my future, and an all-around unstable studying atmosphere. I feel very confident I could have graduated with at least a 3.5 gpa if I focused more on what I needed to accomplish. That's in the past though, and I'm back home now in a very stable environment hoping for a second chance. What I would like to find out is how I can increase my chances of landing a good job in finance/banking/consulting considering my situation. What options do I have or should I consider? Also, which schools, preferably in California, offer great regional recruiting opportunities and what advice would you give that would help me gain admittance to these programs? Basically, what are my best options given my circumstances? Thank you for your time and opinions.
Well, don't know too much about how you can remediate the GPA but you should consider MFin? maybe? I would say for schools -> Berkeley, USC, UCLA, Stanford? To be honest recruiting for Bay Area is basically Berkeley vs. Stanford. Well my advice get super interesting work experience and prove to them GPA doesn't matter.
Or another option go to another country do non-profit work thats super famous. Then apply to the b-schools. To be honest never heard of situation like yours. so, if I were you just try to find something that b-schools don't hear often from like non-profit work.
I'm not specific to your location, so can't talk to your options now, but I would be leveraging the Teller position for networking opportunities, getting some solid references, and ask for some leads. Does Wells Fargo do a grad position, and are you smart enough to get in there?
Also, I don't know what the american conversion system is for GPA, but firstly, develop a better reason for bombing out of your GPA than "social life, confusion about my future, and an all-around unstable studying atmosphere." I mean, kudos to being honest, but you need a better reason. Although I had a guy at a Big4 Audit interview admit in the Partner interview that that was his reason for a low GPA, I don't know if he got a job, and I wouldn't recommend it.
Also, don't consider it the end of the world, I got a pretty solid internship with a large consulting firm despite a significantly lower than anticipated GPA, and will be going into a Big 4 position come graduation. I had solid work experience though, and I could isolate that to personal events at given points, which was outliers in a pretty consistent GPA range, so it's not the end of the world if you can do this, but it is a possibility.
Before you graduated, and preferably every semester, you should analyse your GPA, see what classes you excelled in, and pick up more of those for your electives. For instance, if Marketing classes seem to be marked easier than Quantitative Data Analysis or financial modelling, can you pick up a Relationship Selling course or something to bump up your GPA, while maintaining a strong major? Also, realise a higher grades in some of the 3rd year courses will be viewed more favourably than if you've done all first year electives.
You can always do a small grad degree in something related to prop up your GPA, but I wouldn't be going to business school (at least not a MBA) yet, I'd get some decent management experiance behind you first. Otherwise you'll be the overqualified cocky kid with no real world application to apply any of your studies to. But that's just my opinion, and I could be wrong. I did a law degree, focusing on corporate finance subjects, etc, though a MCommerce would probably have been another good option.
Hey just wanted to tell you that I found this extremely helpful... Especially the part about taking electives that you have done well in previously. Think I may do just that.
Thanks! It's learning from my mistakes. I did the opposite, unfortunately (took a second year financial Management course without previous Finance subjects, took all third year subjects in 2nd year), and realised too late that I made it a lot more difficult for myself.
If other kids don't do the same thing, some good will come out of it.
Thank you for your responses. What positions do you think I could apply for right now that I would have a shot at landing? Also, What type of work experience, recommendations, and GMAT/GRE score would I need to enter these programs in California? Are there any other programs in California that offer decent recruitment that is easier to get into (MBA, MSF)? Thank you.
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