Reporting GPA in B-School Apps
Apologies in advance, but I have a rather petty question to those who've already been through the business school application process.
Do you report your GPA to the hundredths or just the tenths of a decimal place? A GPA of 3.55, for example, would be fairly low for HBS but reporting it as a 3.6 would put that value in an acceptable range (or so goes the thought).
Thanks in advance!
They will check against your transcript, so why give them an excuse to think you are playing fast and loose?
Just report your GPA as reported on your transcript.
If you have an online application where you need to select a GPA from a dropdown then I think you could reasonably round up to 3.6. Most applications will ask you to report your GPA in its original format - and will just have a field where you fill in the number...in that case you need to report 3.55.
I wouldn't worry too much about 3.6 vs 3.55 though :) Focus on your written app and making sure your recommendations (a sometimes underestimated aspect of the app) are spot on :)
If it's on the resume, 1 decimal point, if the online form allows it, as many as they want. But if you round to the tenths, no one will think you're lying. If it's 5, you round down, >=5, you round up. It's just a rule. So don't overthink it :)
Bhavik
Thanks everyone for the input!
Right just keep in mind that the difference between a 3.574 and a 3.60 is not going to get you in or keep you out of school. It will have zero bearing. But if there is a mismatch where there shouldn't be, that does have a small chance of keeping you out. So just reply as accurately as possible. It's not like the start by ranking everyone in order of GPA, and I think it very unlikely that the end with 2 slots left and go with whoever has the highest GPA; we're talking about the difference between getting an A and a B in one class.
You either have good grades at a good undergrad, good grades at a mediocre undergrad, mediocre grades, or shitty grades. The latter needs some sort of explanation no matter where you went to school.
As an aside, I would feel pretty confident that HBS looks for exactly those types of transgressions and it throws all of your other accomplishments into doubt. If you're willing to exaggerate GPA, of all things, what else have you exaggerated? That's how I bet they view it.
Not just HBS. For a wide range of reasons, schools are extra careful about any possible impropriety. I've seen them raise flags over even smaller stuff.
aside from profile comparisons, lying or inflating records or annoying AdCom with extra materials are big gatekeepers for b-schools.
I rounded mine up to the tenths place and was admitted to 4 of 5 schools I applied to. That being said, my GPA certainly wasn't what got me in or out...
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