Anything wrong with a 4.0 GPA?
Hey all,
Recently transferred to a target and got a 4.0 this semester. When recruiting starts next semester I'll be taking off my former college on my resume. Might be a really stupid question but is there anything negative associated with a 4.0 gpa? Like harder technicals? Appreciate the help
Disclaimer: Couldn't care less about validation from anonymous people on a website, just want to hear from the point of view of people actually sifting through the hundreds of resumes.
Not really. As long as it’s a target and you still have good social skills, then Ill just assume you’re hardworking/smart/lucky. It’s only a plus
Get fucked, non-targets with 4.0s
.
3.97 is optimal
Legit
poll now up on ig story, 4.0 or 3.97
Could you post results on this thread?
As long as you have other aspects to your personality / resume (sports, school clubs, volunteering, etc.) I wouldn't see it as an issue. If you're just one-dimension then you might get dinged slightly
I feel like the questions on here get incrementally more insecure / validation-seeking every day. What next - 'should I turn down HBS to not seem elitist during recruiting?'
Agree...
OP, I can't help but say, your question makes me tilted.
Should I reject GS return offer and take KPMG SALT tax group offer? I don't want to screw myself over when I apply for MBA.
I'm afraid I can't comment on that, but if you do stay at GS, make sure you turn down the bonus because you don't want to seem like you're just about the money to your MD.
Yes I can smell your hardo all over here in the EU
How is a 4.0 a bad thing? Just add some meaningful extra curricular, and you're sorted
By definition, there is literally nothing wrong with a 4.0 GPA.
IMO, getting a 4.0 takes 2x as much effort as getting a 3.8. You have to really attend every class and participate to ensure an A in everything instead of teetering on the edge in some classes. When I see a resume with a 4.0, second thing I look at is their involvement in other orgs and hobbies as I’m not trying work with someone who had helicopter parents and only cared about schoolwork. If a resume shows other interests, a 4.0 is great.
I had a 4.0 and the only time it was ever brought up during an interview (in a non-positive way) was once when I was asked if I was challenged enough in school (attended a non-target). Personally, I have never had tougher questions purely due to GPA. I can't really see how having a 4.0 would be a drawback at all, especially if you exhibit well-roundedness with extracurriculars.
I'm interested in hearing how you responded to if you were challenged enough in school. I have a 4.0 while being very involved on campus and find the school fairly easy (only 1/2 out of 5/6 classes per semester I really have to try in). The reason I'm staying at my school is that I have a scholarship that will leave me with no debt as well as I like the people I have met so far, but I don't know if that would be an appropriate response in an interview.
I explained that I sought out opportunities to challenge myself outside of the classroom such as taking a leadership role in my school’s investment fund, other extracurricular involvement, etc. I used this question as an opportunity to highlight other strong aspects of my resume that were differentiators.
I don't see why you would take off your old school from your resume since it's part of your story. I.e. "I started off at xyz school then transferred to zyx school blah blah blah". Idk why that I feel like just having your GPA from 1 semester at your new college is a little misleading since you're leaving the other one off but if you transferred to a target I'm sure your old GPA is good so I guess it doesn't matter really but idk why I'm thinking that. Just personal preference I guess
Transferred from a community college so I've had a lot of people tell me to leave it off the resume since apparently some people look down on that but still up in the air about it
Got it makes sense, I would probably leave off then in that case but either way should be fine
Weird flex but ok.
I guess I’m in the minority on this one, but my take is that the sweet spot is 3.7-3.9. You’re not premed, you shouldn’t have a perfect GPA. There’s just no need to have one.
If you find yourself with a 4.0, you should be doing some combination of: enjoying college more, networking more, doing more extracurriculars, taking more/harder classes, etc. If you have a 4.0 while doing everything else, good for you. Otherwise, you’re wasting too much time on perfecting your grades and should be looking to put some time into other shit.
I go to a T15 school. There's a lot of people who are true geniuses and get a 4.0 without trying lol. They don't study much and easily have time to do other stuff. Are you saying that these people should try to sabotage themselves so they get that 3.7-3.9?
If you have a 4.0 why would you be scared of hard technical questions? A 4.0 shows you are book smart but technical interviews prove if you can apply that knowledge to real world problems.
I was the opposite and had a 2.0 gpa at a target school. I somehow landed a position at a great REPE firm but only after a year of searching. This is mostly because I busted my ass tightening up my technical skills. I also know people who had great gpas but weren’t able to land the best positions.
My point is, you need to be able to answer these technical questions regardless of your gpa because at the end of the day, your job will be to perform in the real world, not to study and ace a test.
Can someone explain me why a 3.97 is better than 4.0? I’m not sure
Most 4.0 are not critical thinkers. Not creative. Not risk takers. They just regurgitate what they are taught in class to make As. This is my observation with most students who are 4.0.
I have had some experience screening resumes for PE roles. I agree with some of the comments made by others, it is important to have a well rounded resume when applying for roles. Academic achievement is important but your resume should also demonstrate things that signal "street smarts" as well. If you are doing a bunch of extracurricular activities and still achieving a 4.0 GPA then there is no need to try and sabotage your GPA. However, if your perfect GPA is at the expense of not having a broader experience then you may be over optimizing your GPA.
If you want a real challenge, a 2.0 is optimal
Skip a homework assignment and go out and get a handy
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