Averaging CUM. GPA as a transfer

I transferred into a ‘target’ school with a business program that is 3 years starting sophomore year. I trandferred in after a freshman year at another school, and notice people use a single cumulative for their freshman and sophomore-senior years (though they are different schools).

Can I average my freshman year GPA at a different school into the CUM gpa, because technically we are all transfers? I received credit for the classes but the gpa doesn’t show up in my new ‘b school’ counting for GPA.

How about a CUM. gpa with both blended, and major GPA with my sophomore-senior GPA only?

15 Comments
 

This is a decisive one where I’d err on side of caution. But TBH, people filter you off the 2nd school and not the consideration of how well u did in the first which is pretty shitty. I’d say you could risk it, but you might get dinged out of some processes. But it should be common practice to do this TBH, the reasoning not to average is retarded. However, you’re at a disadvantage and can take risks however you see fit. What’s the difference it makes, e.g 0.03 isn’t worth it but maybe if it’s like above a .2 difference maybe.

 
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I don’t think it is acceptable practice to combine the GPAs from both schools, especially if you are now a senior. Was the first school you went to of the same rigor as the school you transferred to? You restart your GPA when you transfer, and the grades will not show up on your current school transcript (only credits). I transferred between two T15 schools (both of the same rigor, etc) and I don’t include my GPA from first institution. I considered doing this when I needed extra space on my resume and only wanted to show one school under education. I asked my colleagues / headhunters and the overwhelming answer was no. There are no explicit rules against it, but it is viewed as a bit shady and will leave a sour taste / negative impression. This is especially true if it makes your GPA a decent amount higher or the school you transferred to is considerable more rigorous. The question is also bound to come up because you’ll only show 3 years of attendance at your current institution. 

 

Thanks for the answer. I’m a junior, and I appreciate your answer. The complicated part is that some transfers (from schools that often send transfers, including community colleges) and transfers from the general school are allowed to transfer GPA onto the transcript even though they obviously took easy classes freshman year. How can I justify averaging the GPAs knowing my classes are both harder and correspond to actual classes at the university (e.g. a differential calculus class at my old school is counted as taking the class at the uni without GPA component, but people at the community college get the credit because there have been transfers in the past from there).

How do I explain this best, as if I was going to average?

 

I think as most people are saying, you shouldn’t be averaging GPAs from different institutions, regardless of what other students are doing. If you transferred within the university (maybe from the liberal arts college to business college, etc), you wouldn’t break apart your GPA because you stayed at the same university  where you are getting your degree from (your transcript wouldn’t break them apart either, so it would likely be difficult to do). You should spend your time focusing on networking to overcome your lower GPA and explain why it is lower if needed. If you show the average GPA and make it into the interview process and someone asks about it, it’s probably not going to go well. No one is going to care that “the community college students do it.” People aren’t dumb, and it would be obvious you’re doing it to inflate your GPA, and will be viewed as shady / untrustworthy. You would also be surprised how often it comes up. Also, 3.7 isn’t a true cutoff (it’s like 3.2 on your contract at most places...). Just spend your time networking and leave a positive impression. Most people would rather give an interview to a kid with a 3.6 that they know, trust and believe will be a good fit than give an interview to a kid with a 3.8 that no one has met and might wreck the interview. 

 

This is something to ask your career office. Some schools have very strict rules on not combining, others are fine with it. Get an answer from them and hold onto it if the question ever comes up from a job application 

Array
 

I have transferred twice actually, your GPA resets when you transfer. The only people who would ever see your GPA from prior institutions are grad schools, other academic programs. Your GPA is what you earn at the degree-granting institution. What you have earned at your current school is what needs to be on your resume, otherwise red flags will arise during your background check because your GPA will not match. Not sure what would happen if you listed both institutions and the respective GPA at each, but definitely no combining!

 

If you transferred, I'd just list the schools but show the GPA from the most recent institution. It's not duplicitous nor is it wrong given it's your most current transcript 

 

A little late but for what it's worth on your resume I'd keep the GPAs separate. In the online app if you have to fill in a GPA, average the two (unless your current school GPA is better). 3.6 to 3.7 isn't too big a jump to risk being "dishonest" on your resume. If you have to upload a transcript, combine both transcripts from your previous and current school into one doc.

 

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