MBA gpa discrepancy and background check
During the summer application for associate position in hk ib back in oct/nov 2010, I didn't have my grades yet and I entered 3.5 for the online application based on my strong undergrad result (3.7) In the end I got an offer from bb and they request I sign info disclosure agreement for background check. My result come out with a lot of b+ and gpa of 3.2 for the first semester.
Should I proactively tell the recruiter? Or just wait until they find out then explain that I was overconfident and our MBA has a small class and very hard to get As
Any suggestion is highly appreciated.
I think you should be proactive and honest. If you don't, and they see it first, it will come across as dishonest. It wont matter how you try to explain yourself.
I actually don't know if they'll check your GPA on a background check (I have been out of school for awhile and nobody cares about GPA in my world) so maybe someone else can clarify that, but just in case I would be honest and upfront.
You shouldn't have entered 3.5 on the application - that was a lie, nothing more nothing less. I would try to find out what they verify on the background check, and also come up with a story that you can substantiate - for example, if it comes up, think of a better reason to expect your GPA to be a 3.5 in your first semester - for example, grades received by the time you applied. So find out if they will check, and then start being pro-active if they do check, but keep in mind that you WILL raise some eye-brows. Was it also on your resume?
dont call them, they never check GPAs
its not like its a 2.0, they're not going to care at all if your ugrad was 3.7 and you got a 3.2 intead of a 3.5 first semester
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I have nothing to add other than your username is pretty cool
Embelllished GPA on background check (Originally Posted: 05/09/2011)
I have an intership over summer with a large AM and am currently in the background screening process. However i have seriously embellished my GPA, my actual GPA was 3.4 but i wrote 3.9 on my app. I know WSO is no place for sympathy, but i did it because this was what i predicted before I was hospitalised on-and-off during my final 2 years of high school. I'm at a top school and they still accepted me after taking my predicted GPA and circumstance into account. There was no place to write 'mitigating circumstances' on the app form and so i felt i had no choice - my app would have been automatically disregarded if i'd been honest! I know it's still wrong, but if they do contact my high school and find out the truth (and what is the likelihood they will?) am i screwed?
What year are you
Why did you list your high school GPA at all? 3.4 --> 3.9 is unacceptable. 3.4 --> 3.6 would even cause you problems. My prediction is that you'll have your offer rescinded. It will be a painful, yet valuable lesson for you.
I'm a freshman so i thought it was important to list it? do you think the bg company will contact my high school to check? I guess i knew that 3.4 would look awful and everyone agrees (both my school and college im now at) that i would have got a 3.9 had i not been hospitalized. I know it's wrong, but in a way i feel like it's also wrong that illness is preventing me from getting an internship. i don't know, but you're totally right - it's a lesson learnt. You don't think i'll get blacklisted from BB's do you?
Are you serious
Hold your horses and relax.
As people have mentioned - it's unlikely they would check this given the circumstances.
If they do check this - then you're probably out. But the word is not going to spread. Put the correct GPA or nothing at all and never speak about this place or the application again. It'll be like nothing has ever happened. Find something else to do over the summer. It's very unlikely that it would haunt you in any way.
If they don't check this - then do your very best to make a good impression there. If for some reason you ever in the future have to provide a CV at the same company (let's say they want you back next year or whatever) then redesign your CV to the unrecognizable and leave your high school GPA off. Anywhere else, just feel really proud that you did a good job over the summer, accept mankind's flawed nature and decide to do it straight from now on.
wrong. a 3.4 rounds to 3.5 and that rounds to 4.0. problem solved.
(j/k)
Why would you ever think that that's okay?
.
Keep us posted, whatever happens. I'm curious how thorough these companies are.
will do, should know by the end of the week
I totally see.your point. If I had listened to my parents and actually given a damn about school when I was younger, most people agree that I would have gone to harvard.
If I was not so burnt out after running track all year and summer I would have kept running and my coaches told me I was on track for the olympics.
regards,
Cartwrighy Harvard 05
US Track and Field, 800 meters 2000 Summer Olympics, Sydney
dont say anything you should be fine
Best thing you can do is to stay quiet.
The HR people usually are more concerned with the criminal aspect of the background check I believe.
I give you a 70% chance of being in the clear. Anyone want to take over/under?
One thing that confuses me a bit - I had to submit my transcripts way back when I went FT, so there was no chance to lie.
good luck, let us know what happens. its a hgih school gpa so you might be fine
If this is a handwritten app and your handwriting isn't the best, you can always play it off as they misread the 4 as a 9
I doubt they would call a high school. And even if they did, would the high school be able to release your GPA without your authorization (official transcript request)? I assume they haven't asked you for a transcript. If they do, you're out of luck.
I'd be surprised if they cared about high school transcripts...but then again I've heard of SAT scores being looked at seriously so who knows.
Which BB is this? PM me and I can let you know if that's what they did for the one I was at. Not sure how much they look into GPA since my BB never asked for a transcript and the background company they used didn't either.
If you don't want to take the risk, email HR and ask them if you can send them an updated resume and put the lower GPA on there. Make sure you have a story if they ask why.
GPA and Background Check Question - Unique Situation (Originally Posted: 02/28/2013)
Recently accepted an offer from a BB, go to a target (think Wharton, Harvard, Stanford, Yale). At the time I received and accepted my offer, I had a 3.7 GPA. However, I was abroad last semester and my home institution won't receive my grades until April. That said, my GPA will certainly fall, and likely to 3.4ish. The background check hasn't taken place yet, but I'm assuming it will likely be conducted around April/May. Now, I didn't lie about my GPA since I don't know my fall grades and my GPA is still technically a 3.7, but I still find this situation rather unsettling. Has anyone been in a similar predicament and if so, what ultimately happened? Thanks everyone.
Trust me, this is not a unique situation. People's GPAs almost always drop a bit after completing a season of recruiting. As long as you didn't lie about your GPA when you put it on your resume and accepted the job, you didn't do anything wrong. You'll be fine.
Don't worry about it. Your cumulative GPA for every quarter/semester shows up in your transcript so if you were telling the truth, it should say 3.7 for when you applied. That said, try not to bomb your accounting/finance classes.
I am generally in favor of honesty, but this is GPA for a post-MBA position. Nobody gives a shit about bschool GPAs.
I doubt it will come up, but, if it does, say it was an estimate based on your grades at that point in the semester. Like life said, it's not like you got a 2.0 or something horrible.
Email HR an updated resume. I am guessing they won't even notice your updated GPA.
Thanks for all the inputs, I'm.afraid being proactive now will cause more trouble because I know my results in Jan and now is march. Looks like im hiding. Im trying to weigh the pros/cons of tell early or wait until they come up. They r using first advantage for backgroundcheck. So the results will definitely come up i think. As MBA, we r not allowed to put gpa on the resume, it was asked during online application.
Thanks
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