Is ADHD a fine explanation for low GPA

I had undiagnosed ADD for the first two years of my college career, but I just got diagnosed and am on medication now, along with learning time management strategies. My GPA is low, 3.46(rounded to 3.5), but not spectacularly low, so I think I can manage? I go to a top public(UM, UCB, UVA), as an econ major.

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Best Response

There are a lot of questions I try to answer when interviewing people for banking positions, but I tend to put my main focus on two questions:

1.) Can this person do the job? 2.) Does this person want to do the job?

Focus on answering these questions for the interviewer.

It sounds like you're heading into interviews from a defensive position. I would recommend you focus less on your GPA, and more on confidence and approaching the interview from a position of strength. Express your abilities in a manner that checks the ability box. GPA is really a presupposition that you're intelligent. Make sure you leave no doubt to the interviewer that you're capable of doing the job. If you're impressive enough they won't pry about your GPA.

Secondly, don't forget to show enthusiasm for investment banking so they check the "Desire" box. Most people I interview are very intelligent but are trying to get into banking for the wrong reasons. If you show desire, GPA becomes less of an issue.

MOD NOTE: I didn't take your ADHD into account when writing my post, I hope you were able to maintain focus and read it's entirety...

"A man can convince anyone he's somebody else, but never himself."

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