[GPA] can I say my GPA is 3.5 if I got 3.49?

My grade was around 3.6 but I took 2 senior Econ classes and I fucked up them: they are simply too difficult... I know the cutoff line for IB is 3.5, can I say my GPA is still 3.5 even if I got 3.49? I can work harder next semester and boost my grade over 3.5 again by, well, Dec, 2016.

47 Comments
 

Thx. I found someone combined their GPA from community college with their real grade and it was regarded as "OK". Can I use my "cumulative“ GPA on my resume? aka, combined my grade when I was a freshman at another college with my current grade, in that case, I would be more than 3.7

 
"vanillathunder"

Just saying 3.5 (not 3.50) is fine.

If a company decides whom to interview based on whether they have GPA of 3.49 versus 3.5, you don't want to be associated with that organization anyways.

Why not? A GPA filter could get you stopped at the HR resume screen and have little to do with the hiring team.

I applied for one AM entry level analyst role that I found out had over 1000 applications. I'm sure a lot of banks see much higher. They've got to robo filter somewhere.

 

What does a company do when it reports earnings? how many sig figs are included in an annual report?

How many time have you spent 20 minutes chasing down a variance in a model to find 4 sig figs in some input field that are not included in the referenced annual report?

 
Best Response

It's .01 of a grade point average. I'd say round it up if you are actually worried that a .01 discrepancy in GPA is going to bar you from receiving an interview. That will not be the case though. There are many other factors that are important, if not more, when selecting interview candidates i.e. relevant internship experience, school attended, extracurricular activities, and the caliber of the opposing applicants. If you have a strong connection with someone at the firm, you could get an interview with a 3.0 GPA, it's been done.

I came from a non-target and when we were in undergrad my buddy landed a S&T SA position at Goldman when he had a 3.2. I know it's not IBD, but the point I am trying to make is that there are many other factors that go into candidate selection besides GPA.

If you apply to a position and do not receive an interview, I don't want you to be sitting up at night thinking that you didn't get the interview because your GPA was .01 below what people tell you the "IBD GPA standard" is. That is completely asinine.

Good luck to you.

The fool thinks himself to be a wise man, while the wise man thinks himself to be a fool.
 

I NEED TO RANT. SERIOUSLY KID? WTF. IS THIS WHAT YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT IN LIFE?

IF YOU PUT 3.49 YOU WONT MAKE THE FIRST ROUND INTERVIEW CUT AND YOU WILL END UP JOBLESS AND A FAILURE. IF YOU PUT 3.5 YOU WILL LIVE YOUR ENTIRE LIFE BEING A FRAUD AND WILL MOST LIKELY GET CAUGHT AND END UP JOBLESS AND BECOME A HEROINE ADDICT.

Nobody cares if you round up by 0.01 or the difference between a candidate with 3.49 or 3.5 - it is completely immaterial. Focus on more important things.

 

I'm not entirely sure why people give such high importance to such an irrelevant issue. 3.49 or 3.50, whatever, do not let a number decide what you go for. The idea is simple, if you are good enough and if you are applying for the correct reasons and because you genuinely like the industry, you have nothing to worry about.

However, if you're applying cause you think its well paid and it sounds cool, and that is what feeling I get from your post, just forget it. IB isn't what it used to be and the only way you make it there nowadays, is if you thrive off that insane environment.

 

Just put the 3.5 HR will not care enough to deal with. DON'T put 3.7, then have to explain to HR that it isn't a "lie" it's a 'blended weighted-average GPA between a school I did not provide a transcript for and where I graduated from since it was the highest way I could make my GPA pop out'.

Edit: Implied reasoning explained: Your resume will be seen by bankers and both transcripts and resume will be seen by HR. HR will only look closely at the two AFTER the bankers have given you an offer.

 

I rounded from a .22 to a .3... fuck the haters.

Still not sure if I want to spend the next 30+ years grinding away in corporate finance and the WSO dream chase or look to have enough passive income to live simply and work minimally.
 

Just be consistent in whatever approach you choose. Rounding up to the nearest tenth is very common, and a lot of people will even push a 3.44 to a 3.50. Be consistent. Be confident. Quit making mountains out of molehills.

 

Can't you get in trouble and have your offer rescinded if your lie about your GPA. I mean a 3.46 is not a 3.50, which is the cutoff for most banks. I heard of a kid that was expelled from my school for "rounding" his GPA. Just curious to know how many of you have rounded a 3.4x to a 3.50 and were (or were not) you called out on it?

 

GPA is just one of several factors that get you an interview. After that, everyone is in the same boat, and the GPA really doesn't matter anymore.

I'm sure more people than not round their GPA reasonably. Consistency is key, and if you ever get called out on it, explain your method/reason for rounding. I have never been asked about my GPA in any interview, and it is rounded to the nearest tenth. If I am ever asked, I will state that it is rounded to the nearest tenth, but every legit process requires a transcript that has the GPA to the hundredths place, and interviewers can put two and two together on their own.

 

Cumque tenetur ut quas rem saepe ducimus. Dolore ea expedita nemo qui. Quo illo accusantium ut sit suscipit. Expedita recusandae ullam nostrum sit suscipit architecto.

Odit optio animi et dicta optio. Voluptates tempore eius occaecati ut nihil recusandae. Voluptate excepturi qui laudantium.

Ad aut repellat quam porro quas possimus. Aut officia deleniti ipsam molestiae ut fugit. Eum reprehenderit a deserunt sed nobis nemo quo. Veniam perferendis quia pariatur aut praesentium natus. Dolor explicabo et ut praesentium sint rem. Laudantium eum rem tempora eaque dolorem blanditiis.

Eaque esse sed fugiat. Et ratione accusamus soluta et saepe minima ipsam qui. Iure eos magnam animi odio a nemo.

 

Qui non cupiditate eos expedita. Facilis incidunt ut quis tenetur voluptatem dolorem fugiat. Nemo ad aliquam impedit soluta labore error.

Qui sapiente rerum qui. Rerum nisi fugiat porro consequatur. Et quam sunt eum sed ab minus.

Facere rerum aperiam nisi. Quia laboriosam excepturi vitae nihil a qui officia.

Quia voluptatem sint eligendi non. Eos facilis voluptates itaque natus corporis. Ullam molestiae sed soluta aut repellat in quos. Dicta quia nemo quam officiis optio. At eum quis velit ut. Iusto quia pariatur atque sunt.

 

Ea qui delectus sint soluta reprehenderit. Omnis quia autem aut iusto. Voluptatem dignissimos reiciendis quis ex nemo a.

Illum in voluptas velit porro minus nostrum. Aut est ratione eos. Dolorem velit est eaque veniam ipsum. Aut earum ut rerum explicabo sunt et. Corrupti odit aut aut aut consequatur. Eligendi voluptatem rerum dolorum culpa tempora rerum. Libero nihil voluptates quidem ad porro dolorem.

Non iste aliquid quia temporibus eos cum. Voluptatem aut eveniet aut nobis. Atque laboriosam velit ratione ut nostrum nostrum eum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (68) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”