I’m probably getting fucked for saying this, but isn’t the average at MIT like 3.2? Will banks take into account how hard a school is when looking at GPA, because otherwise people at very hard schools would probably not be getting jobs. If it is a semi target school for you, do you know if the program you took is extremely rigorous and justifies a low GPA?

 

average GPA at MIT is 4.4 or 4.5 out of 5. They don't use a 4 point scale like most other places.

 
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I have a 3.1 GPA and have gone through many interviews. From personal experience, it is best to leave it off. Once you get through a phone screen GPA tends not to come up so I wouldn't worry about it. But when they ask me on the phone I tend to be dinged immediately. Funny enough, its usually the firms that tend not to be very prestigious themselves that will ding me for the low GPA while the larger more reputable firms never ask me about it and are more interested in ability, experience, and fit. Good luck!

 

Wow. Impressive.

Can you please talk about about your story navigating a low GPA during private equity recruting? Would be super helpful to many!

 

Echo this 100%. Never kept mine on resume during PE recruiting. Explained story around lower GPA to recruiters and they were (surprisingly) receptive and never came up except at a couple smaller funds

Edit: In terms of explaining story, just be honest about why it was the way it was (family, was not in right major, or whatever it is) because contrary to popular belief, its pretty easy to tell when you're not being genuine to recruiters though they may not come across as perceptive at some times. The question will come up at all the big ones ie Amity HSP Oxbridge etc. If you're in banking already and have good standing you need to be able to refocus the conversation on professional achievement and not focus the conversation around why your academics should be a proxy for your abilities

 

Having just gone through the process it matters more if you didn’t go to a target school and depends on the fund you’re targeting. MFs are notorious for screening with GPA and top school, even from top IB groups. Obviously there’s examples of people getting around that and winning offers but generally MFs look for top GPA and top school, UMM and MM funds generally care less and care more about group

“If you ain’t first, you’re last!” - GOAT
 

Honestly grade inflation is killing us semi-target kids. Like at Harvard the most common grade is A (not even A-) and now the avg GPA at Brown is like 3.65. We stand no chance against these people when our avgs are designed to be closer to 3.0.

 

As a business student ? I’m not sure I would entirely agree with that. Most Harvard kids would come from families of money / private schools which is why I’m not sure your assertion holds . Also remember as the Ivies try to have a “diverse” college setting by admitting lower test scores the middle class white kids who have good test scores end up at the semi-targets

 

I had a 3.41 GPA (which I rounded up to 3.5 on my resume - no questions asked even with a submitted transcript) and went through a couple IB, HF, and PE interviews. I wasn't asked ever about my marks but I did always have a prepared answer just in case they did ask (best to revolve your answer based on an outside factor that was beyond your control, e.g. being caught up in too many leadership activities/other commitments where you had a tangible effect).

 

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