Does B-School GPA Matter?

Do banks (or any other employers, really) care about your Business School GPA? Or does it only matter that you were good enough to get into XYZ School? I know that if you get into a top law school you really just need to be in the top 2/3 of your class or so, and I would think B-School grades would matter even less.

(Sorry if this has already been talked about, I did a quick scan and only found undergrad-gpa related posts.)

12 Comments
 

Take this for what it's worth, but I've heard that IB seeking MBAs are the only ones who really have to care about their grades while simultaneously playing the recruitment game with the banks... really takes away from the "2 year vacation" thesis

 

Can any senior level bankers/people who have interviewed MBA candidates before confirm? How about for trading, consulting, PE, or other highly coveted jobs coming out of MBA?

 
Best Response

I just went through the recruiting process at a target school for I-Banks. From what I saw, most of the banks put emphasis on GPA-3.7 and above will get you most interviews. However, the likes of Lazard, Blackstone, and some of the more selective firms may require higher grades/ or better work experiences.

After you get the initial interview, grades don't come into as much play, but if you have a lower GPA, definitely be ready to defend why "you" and give some reasons for the GPA that aren't negative to your recruiting process. Other than that, just emphasize that you are a "work beast" and are willing and able to learn and grow at an I-Bank.

 

Elijah, I did some quick research and found that b-schools do not really have nondisclosure anymore (at least some of the good ones I checked out- HBS, Berkeley).

Definitely curious to hear perspectives on industries other than I-Banking.

Sub-Zero, any idea of what the average GPA is in (your) MBA? My guess would be 3.5, so I would think 3.7 isn't really an elite cutoff. Then again, if you're at a target, everyone is supposed to be qualified.

 

If you finish in the top 20% you can make Directors list and you can disclose that. There are also certain scholarships for people who do extremely well. There are also a system in place where you can get in trouble or possibly kicked out if you do too poorly in a certain number of classes.

 

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