Does 2.9 Major GPA meet 3.0 Cutoff?

Hey Everyone,

Was curious about this scenario for a friend who was asking for advice:

Many business jobs have a minimum GPA requirement of 3.0. In the case where someone has a major GPA that is higher than their cumulative GPA (weird, right?), can a major GPA be used?

Also, what if someone has a 2.9 (already rounded to one decimal) major GPA (cumulative GPA is lower so won't be using that)?

Major GPA is an official metric provided by my friend's university, in case anyone was wondering. No way to really massage either number. GPA is for a STEM major.

Thanks

13 Comments
 
ConnorI know someone who got cutoff at 2.95. I'm curious as to what his cumulative GPA was.. sub 2.0?

That is rough! I see resumes come by the office with only one decimal place all the time. I presume they are rounding 3.65 to 3.7 so why couldn't you round 2.95 to 3.0? I asked my roommate (also in IB) and he said he doesn't see a problem with that.

 
DiarrheaAnneFrankWhy is it surprising that Major GPA is higher than Cumulative GPA? My major GPA is 0.5 higher than my cumulative, simply because I do better in classes that I am interested in, which happen to be my major classes.
Yeah, that's the case for most people.
 
Best Response
DiarrheaAnneFrankWhy is it surprising that Major GPA is higher than Cumulative GPA? My major GPA is 0.5 higher than my cumulative, simply because I do better in classes that I am interested in, which happen to be my major classes.

I should clarify. He is a STEM major. I was too in college. From my experience, math and science majors ace elective coursework but sometimes struggle more in core classes.

Your point is well taken though and makes sense too.

 

They have to draw the line somewhere. If 2.9 was okay they'd say 2.9, not 3.0. Typically these things are auto screened by HR without any consideration of facts and circumstances. That's just the most efficient way to do it. Your friend will not make it through the auto screen (unless he/she knows someone senior who can help skip this step).

 
BoothorbustThey have to draw the line somewhere. If 2.9 was okay they'd say 2.9, not 3.0. Typically these things are auto screened by HR without any consideration of facts and circumstances. That's just the most efficient way to do it. Your friend will not make it through the auto screen (unless he/she knows someone senior who can help skip this step).

Thanks for the insight. Guess he better try really really hard to get an A in his last core class before graduation. Unfortunately it can't even be an A-.

 

Non dolorem aut tenetur quisquam similique. Atque ut delectus et impedit sunt ea ut. Provident aut rerum soluta enim aut nostrum ut eos. Velit vero aspernatur rerum maiores suscipit est ut.

Placeat quo ea ratione voluptas non. Dolor omnis dicta alias sint.

Repellat voluptas ut consequatur delectus quibusdam. Aut veritatis expedita animi quo.

Inventore officiis omnis velit quis sunt harum. Illo iure et consequatur neque iste a aliquid. Blanditiis cupiditate qui expedita eos officia.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 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

May 2026 Investment Banking

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

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 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

May 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 (65) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
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...”