2.99 GPA. Should I even bother?

Network, network and network.

Just fill out applications.What's the worst that can happen? A rejection? Go for it.

Answer this question. How bad do you want it? After you answer that, what you should do will be much clearer to you.

You need to network your way into first round interviews and then when asked why your GPA is low, explain your story.

depends on the disease imo

yes you should absolutely bother.

Personality > GPA

Aids will get ya brotha

I wonder why my post was deleted :(

Don't give up

u go to one of the best schools in america after the ivys - so dont complain

If you really want it, then go for it. Do you have any idea how many people who didn't sit around cranking out As in college have kick ass jobs? Start networking, be persistent, and something will open up.

....if you really want it

you know that as you rise the totem pole in IBD from analyst to MD the SAT scores get lower..... its cuz brains isnt everything. Just network hard buy a ticket to the WSO conference, talk with some ballers there and get you a gig!

I go to 2nd tier college, have moderate GPA and still apply for big name firms like GS and Morgan Stanely. lulz

fuck it bro. i know its tough for me to land an interview but i plan on destroying it once i do get one. GL

it will be uber tough to get interviews with that gpa.. I-banking and consulting are out the window. F500 corp finance or Big4 accounting? maybe

aids

Also, I know a kid from my high school who went to Princeton and graduated last year with 2.9 GPA in Economics. He's been unemployed for a year now... Shit is rough out there. I think the key thing is, like others said, networking hard and trying to land decent number of first round interviews. Having a low GPA will make it uber hard to land interviews even if you go to Harvard

OP, half of these clowns are still in school, so take what ther're saying with a grain of salt. They're not entirely wrong, but realize that networking will overcome ANY obstacle. Trust me on this.

EPS, that is somewhat true but not really, at my non-target around 15-20 went into IBD this last year 5-6were at BB's, most of them to KeyBank, and some to some other good MM's I infact know a kid who did ER at BB junior year then rejected offer to go into the PE arm of another BB. Mind me this is ALL FO. There are ops majors that are going to some bank OPs but in all honesty that is cuz they like Ops.

Also the screening cutoff for BB is 3.7 for out school. What I dont understand is why are F500 companies cutoffs almost the same as BB's. That honestly makes no sence to me....... Then again networking yourself into a F500 is childs play compared to IBD.

I tremedously believe in what UFO said,,,,,, this is a game, and for people who arent the best at networking the GPA is the only possible route. For the baller networkers they can get IBD without ever showing their resumes ( maybe they should go to sales).

UFO,

do you work in IBD? Trading? Research? or Sales?

I know you mentioned you went to a non target and had low gpa. would u mind sharing your story on how you approached networking??

also just wondering -

if you talk to an MD at a bank and he likes you, can he get you the job, or can he just help you get you the first round interview.

my question is, say that MD you spoke to got you the first round interview. Then, when i go into first round interview, do i stand a better chance of getting an offer compared to others, since MD put in a good word for me and might vouch for me??

Same boat as you (even lower GPA thanks to my CS major). Just been applying non-stop. Good luck!

It's UC Berkeley. You should be able to get a job....

What's your major by the way?

Sorry, I haven't responded on Wall Street Oasis in a while. I'm majoring in economics.

Internships and jobs aren't going well... I went to a lot of career fairs, applied to a lot of internships, and did so-so networking; but I haven't received anything.

I thought I was going to get an interview with Wells Fargo SA position but nothing ever came to fruition. An MD forwarded my resume for me, but I think my 2.99 GPA prevented me from getting an interview. I knew the other applicants who were applying and they had much better resumes than I did.

On the bright side, I'm receiving 3 A's and a B this semester so that should bring my GPA above a 3.0 if I can maintain it.

For those of you who want to know what disease I have, I have Ulcerative Colitis. Thankfully, I'm in remission this semester so it's easier for me to focus and do well.

I'm probably going to take the next semester off so I can get surgery for another medical problem, unrelated to the one above. That will leave me with another summer to apply for SA positions.

I'm probably going to network the next few months for an internship position at a boutique bank over the summer.

Thanks for the support and advice, guys.

round up to 3.0

don't give up! Berkeley is a great school. Best advice: email your alumni via linkedin.

(The first time I applied for an SA position, I had a 3.0, rounded. Managed to land a position at a boutique after networking my ass off. Round that 2.99 the fuck up to 3.0, I don't see why you wouldn't or can't.)

Definitely round up to 3.0. It's not dishonest at all unless you put 3.00. No one is going care about 0.01 points on your GPA. They know they are getting a B student. I had much success applying for sophomore internships with a rounded 2.95+ GPA (engineering major at top school like UCB). I always submitted transcripts. No one cared.

That said, you'll likely have to look outside OCR for an opportunity. Plenty of no name companies in the Bay Area that could use a summer of cheap labor from a smart kid. Start knocking on doors. Any relevant experience will be a huge help.

I'd also recommend trying to squeeze in a class or two over the summer. Grades come easier in summer classes, and they can help boost your GPA. Using summer classes and other strategies I was able to get my GPA up over 3.3 by graduation. This didn't matter a ton for my job search, but was a big help when applying for grad school & b school.

Make sure you're not awkward. There is nothing worse than having a socially awkward coworker.

Update:

After receiving my second wave of midterms, I have a 4.0 this semester!

I've contacted a couple banks about internship positions but after submitting my resume, they never reply. It's probably due to my grades and lack of activities. When I follow up with them, should I mention how well I'm doing in classes this semester and also bring up my illness?