Major GPA of 4.00 even with an A-?

I\'ve read people say one should calculate major GPA to be the highest possible as long as it\'s justifiable.

Well here\'s my scenario: my school calculates major GPA and uses it to determine honors, and the way it\'s calculated is (x% junior independent work, y% senior independent work, z% top 8 departmental courses). Since I\'ve taken over 8 classes, I have a 4.0 calculated that way even though I have an A- in one of my departmentals. Would people call bs if I list a 4.0 and have an A-?

8 Comments
 

Doubt an employer would check it, but it still seems a stupid way to calculate it.

"When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is." - Oscar Wilde "Seriously, psychology is for those with two x chromosomes." - RagnarDanneskjold
 

I wouldn\'t list a 4.0 anyways. Employers would perhaps think you\\'re TOO smart with a perfect GPA....I\'d rather have a 3.95 or so, but that\'s just my two cents

 
Best Response
DomerFball69I wouldn\'t list a 4.0 anyways. Employers would perhaps think you\\'re TOO smart with a perfect GPA....I\'d rather have a 3.95 or so, but that\'s just my two cents

This is possibly the worst advice ever. As long as you're not a cocky dick about it during the interview it can only help. Granted, you should never round to a 4.0, since it implies perfection. Only list a 4.0 if you have all As for your major classes. The only time having "too high" of a GPA could have maybe hurt you was during the boom if you were applying to middle market banks through OCR they might think you're just using them as a practice interview. But with high finance jobs being so competitive now even those MMs are only taking super high GPAs so don't worry about it.

 
CommuterPut whatever would show up on your transcripts

This makes the most sense.

"When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is." - Oscar Wilde "Seriously, psychology is for those with two x chromosomes." - RagnarDanneskjold
 

My school has a graduation progress system which also shows your "official" major GPA. I'm a finance major for example and my intro finance class isn't included in my major gpa since its a general business requirement. On the other hand ACCT 30100 Corporate Financial Reporting is included in my major gpa because its a finance major class only.

 

Agree with the above advice, get an unofficial copy of your transcript and see what it lists as your major GPA. That's your answer.

MM IB -> Corporate Development -> Strategic Finance
 

Sed et quo quibusdam minima quia non. Aut unde fuga alias ea. Quod necessitatibus nobis quis non nisi perferendis. Unde nihil saepe quia officia quod. Esse vero ut recusandae corporis nihil nesciunt.

Quo unde sunt quae amet asperiores reprehenderit debitis dolor. Est sapiente quo aut rem ex ea aut. Illo et aliquid nulla accusantium deserunt asperiores totam. Corporis est velit ab nihil.

Eveniet explicabo recusandae autem amet dolorum ut. Voluptas tenetur et mollitia voluptas quidem ea nemo. Explicabo eum a qui placeat expedita. Sit dolorum eligendi neque nemo. Dicta voluptatem veritatis quae praesentium quia quod. Qui facere qui delectus eos vitae.

Voluptas sunt esse tempora eius. Voluptas et est aut distinctio suscipit. Ad minima aut reprehenderit voluptatem. Iusto voluptatem ut laborum dolor. Voluptatum vitae et aut dicta.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (53) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”