3.0 at HYPS Undergrad = Death at H/S/W?
Though GPA threads have been done to death, here's my deal (with some details slightly tweaked to preserve anonymity):
I graduated in '07 majoring in Physics at HYPS. My GPA blew; I got a 3.0 cumulative (w/ no upward or downward trend). However, most everything else on my resume is sterling: think student body president in college, for example, and my research got me a patent. My GMAT's a 770. Right out of college, I got a PE job at a top shop (by which I mean the level of KKR, etc.), and I've maintained community service commitments. Given everything else I was up to in college, combined with my stupid immaturity, my grades were simply not priority #1.
Assuming perfect execution on the essays and recs, will I at least be offered an interview? I know that typically 3.0 = auto-ding, but I feel like it's uncommon for most 3.0's to have their act together on everything else... I mean, if the firms HYPS kids would kill to get jobs at are taking a stab at me, shouldn't H/S/W? Or am I underestimating the strength of their pool?
Perhaps more constructive: what can I do to improve my chances?
Thank you!
P.S. I'm a male of a not-underrepresented ethnicity
Dude, people with all you have AND a 4.0 get dinged at H/S/W. That said, you're fine. It's not like you got a 3.0 in art history* with zero committment elsewhere. Hard major + lots of solid extracurriculars + great GMAT = awesome candidate. You are exactly who HSW is talking about when they say they don't have a GPA cutoff.
*It's hard to write decent essays and get good grades in Art History. Just addressing perceptions, even if they are bullshit.
Well, the strong GMAT scores definitely make up for the grades. Put it this way, if you had a 3.5, you're close to guaranteed admissions, meaning they can't find fault w your background/application (assuming you have good essays and recommendations)... but with the 3.0, your chances are reduced, but i would say u're still a strong candidate
Only reason Wharton would ding you is if they didnt think you were "seasoned" enough (i.e. need another year of W/E). Otherwise, I think you are a lock at W. You are still very competitive at H/S but admissions at both really do entail a bit of luck given the fact that you are competing against similar candidate profiles. It will come down to how you execute essays.
How did you get a job at a top PE firm if your GPA wasn't that good?
Edit - deleted since I just realized I was replying to a 10+ year old post
it was physics you're fine
Dude
Physics Major at H/Y/P/S KKR Private Equity 770 GMAT
Dude, you are so fucked, that 3.0 is auto-ding for sure dude, adcom isn't even gonna look at the rest of the app when they see that 3.0 GPA. Sorry Dude.
-Randy Jackson
It's not about being perfect - it's about being compelling. As a previous poster said, you can have a 4.0 and still get dinged.
Or, to put it another way, there may be other folks with a similar resume but with more concerns (i.e. a DUI, maybe a gap in their work history, etc) and get in while you get dinged.
Thanks for all the responses. I guess what remains is to write great essays and do what I can to make sure the recs reflect my performance in the best light.
10% networking, 30% strength of the rest of my resume, 60% luck. In some instances, I was asked point blank about my grades, but I was able to make the case that it reflected different (worthwhile) priorities, not laziness.
Thanks - that's an interesting way of looking at it. My anecdotal data points on H/S/W admission outcomes seem to fit the formulaic rules about GPA/GMAT/WE, so I guess I've never been quite sure to what extent the "we love people who did cool things" line that b-schools take is just PR.
One final question: is there anything I can do to mitigate a weak GPA (comfort b-schools that I'm no slouch in the classroom)? One route, of course, is to take summer classes, but I'm simply not sure I have the time to devote to that on top of my work hours.
how the fk u get a PE job with a 3.0 lol and I assume your from an ivy
This is from 10 years ago. And do you not know what HYPS stands for? Harvard / Yale / Princeton / Stanford.
it doesn't matter, PE was never easy to get into regardless if HYPS
Since the OP is male, most likely nepotism. If the OP was female, there is a possibility they could have fucked their way into a job, but nepotism most likely.
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