2.9 GPA to 3.68 GPA in one semester
I am in a situation in which my in-major (Finance) GPA will have the potential to go from a 2.9 to a 3.68 by the end of the Fall semester. This would be accomplished with a combination of retaking classes this summer and getting straight A's in the Fall. Now, before you start grilling me for me being presumptuous, I know that I will have to work hard to reach this goal and I'm prepared to put in the work. My question:
What do I do about FT recruiting? Do I bother applying to Investment banks before Fall ends or do I wait til I achieve my 3.68 GPA? And by then, what options would I even have?
Thanks in advance.
You put the GPA you earned, no projections
I understand that, I wasn't going to write "projected to receive 3.68." What I'm asking is, from a strategic standpoint, should I jump into the recruitment process during the Fall with a 2.9 GPA or wait til after Fall when I can write my 3.68 GPA?
If the deadlines are in the fall, there's no reason not to apply in the fall as the position will be filled at the end of the semester. Otherwise best to wait, I think you realize that a 2.9 won't be very competitive for high finance internships however.
Projected to get straight A's even though you have never done that before. That's a very poor projection based on past performance, you need to work on your forecasting skills before you interview for IB.
Well as I said in my post these are my personal goals for myself that I plan on reaching, I'm not in need of a reality check if that's what you're alluding to. I understand it's going to be tough and whether or not I reach it is up to me and I realize that it's not a given. I'm simply asking if I should wait to apply to jobs after the fall semester or not.
Right.. next you'll tell us past performance is not indicative of future results.
That's management projections for you.
You will be entering recruiting with a 2.9. Fall semester ends in December, by which FT recruiting will be long completed with.
Thanks for the info. I will just focus on other positions then and maybe lateral into IB down the road.
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There are still boutique banks you could go to after fall semester. Just BB recruiting will be done, even then you never know.
Project a 4.0. If you're going to lie, go for the gold.
If I were to go through recruitment during fall I would post my 2.9 GPA, I suggest actually reading the post before commenting.
Make it something realistic for God's sake, not a 3.7 GPA like you said. Maybe a 3.2-3.3 at most and make sure you say 'anticipated GPA'.
As someone that's sitting on a 3.0, I assure you GPA isn't everything. Networking will fill that gap nicely, but hustle to get better grades and hustle to network with bankers. Don't be afraid to apply to no-name boutiques either. Something is better than nothing.
Thanks for the advice!
I'll assume your actual GPA is way lower than your major-specific GPA since you're gunning for putting the major-specific one on your resume. If this is the case, just leave your GPA off and have a damn good story to tell about why it's this low. Also, please don't lie about having depression, anxiety, or any other disorder/disease as your reason for having a sub-3.5 GPA. It'll be clear that you're lying and makes you look like a real piece of shit.
I know it seems hard to get over the GPA hurdle but you need to network well enough that guys within the firm will vouch for you and push your resume through. If you aren't able to build these relationships over email / phone then IB may not be for you.
One more thing, try to be more realistic of yourself and your goals. It's nice to set high goals for ourselves but setting unrealistically high goals can be damaging. If you have a 2.9 then you've never earned A's across the board in any semester. Why would you think that this is possible in your penultimate semester taking some of the hardest finance classes? You'll save yourself a lot of headache and heartache if you learn to be realistic. Good luck to you in FT recruiting.
Great advice! And personally I don't believe a 4.00 is unrealistic, I have a 2.9 because I partied every weekend, skipped class, etc. I'm being honest with myself and now that I understand my mistakes I will actually apply myself to my classes, so I think it's doable as long as I stay committed.
Don't lie and network. Considering many people have prior IB experience and over a 3.7 overall, maybe you should start brainstorming a more indirect path. Getting the right person to like you though can make anything happen
Why are you asking this? Put the GPA you have and apply to banks before their deadlines. Talk to people who work there and ask about the process timeline, so you know when the "real" deadlines are. Simple as that... and that's pretty simple.
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