Undergrad GPA question?

Sorry for another UG gpa question -this form is a saturated with them. Anyways, something I haven't seen commented on much is the difference between IB prestige & gpa. I'm a rising freshman at Stern, and right now a lot of speculation is passed around about IB.

People say GS is the most exclusive/prestigious investment bank, but doesn't it also take the most interns, too? Also, if GS is the most prestigious, then is it looking for higher than average IB stats? Does gpa above 3.5 really not matter? I'm wondering because I'm defining my goals for university, and I'm not sure if studying all day and night for the extra 1/10th grade point is worth it when im working on my business on the side. I don't want to limit opportunities, so is there really no difference between a 3.5 and 4.0 from a target, say between a place like GS and HSBC?

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Best Response

There is an obvious difference between a 3.5 and 4.0. One is getting straight A's and the other is getting a B+/A- average. People recognize that.

Get the highest GPA you can get, especially since you'll be competing against other kids within Stern for the spots in IB. I don't think you'll get a ton of interviews with a 3.5, unless your experience is really strong and/or know a ton of people on the inside.

And from my experience there is a huge difference between a 3.60 and a 3.90, at least at my school.

 

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