Do grades matter anymore?

Just got a FT analyst role for next year at a boutique bank. I’m doing an MS program and currently going through final projects/exams for the semester. I’m struggling to stay motivated to maintain the same GPA I had throughout undergrad (~3.9). I’d love to be able to take it a little bit easier entering my last semester compared to how I’ve approached school up to this point, and I’ve heard so many people say that “getting into the industry is the hardest part.” It makes me wonder if future prospective employers (other banks, PE, VC, etc.) would care if my GPA in grad school isn’t as high as my undergraduate one was, as I will now have experience in the industry.

I’m by no means saying I plan to barely pass the remainder of my classes, but would having a near-4.0 average compared to the 3.5-3.7 range make a difference down the road?

2 Comments
 
Most Helpful

You have one more semester to go...I don't know why you wouldn't try hard to maintain your gpa. I'm not sure on your financial situation but if you're paying at all for school it's a no-brainer to finish strong with a 3.9 gpa instead of a 3.5. The marginal amount of better life you would have for ~4-5 months with a 3.5 gpa does not make up for a 3.9 gpa on your masters program. Sure, you'll be fine either way, but I don't know why you'd ever do that. Take a month off before you finish school / start full time to have a bit of time for yourself

 

Facere in illum hic. Minus et rerum suscipit eveniet sapiente. Accusamus et quia dolorum quis odit sit aspernatur. Sunt et unde expedita deleniti nihil itaque odit. Adipisci temporibus modi et impedit rerum fuga et. At cupiditate sunt odio nihil atque qui.

Nam quidem non nostrum voluptatibus. Dolores et ipsam ut corporis quos molestias. Ut est quis minima minima. Illo laudantium nihil eaque et delectus aut officiis. Mollitia non aspernatur numquam aut vel. Error ut soluta non libero.

Mollitia ut dolorem tempora pariatur officiis. Consequatur eum ipsam quaerat enim quia et nam. Deserunt est culpa neque perspiciatis qui quidem et. Quis nihil commodi pariatur blanditiis explicabo aut adipisci cupiditate. Quae illo tempora velit accusamus natus ea.

Et nam ut ea quam officiis quis quibusdam. Voluptate officia possimus temporibus ut dicta unde molestiae. Molestias earum rem dolore molestias tenetur vitae dignissimos totam.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”