Best Response

-So trying to hide your school is nice, but largely ineffective when you name the professor you worked for (since i can google and see hey, rafael laporta teaches at dartmouth). Not that it matters. But it does seem careless.

  • I'm a little confused by the fact that youre getting a "summer program degree, expected 2009". Wtf is that? And if you're doing a summer program, how are you planning on doing an internship? I'm not sure I'd list that there--it just raises more questions than it answers.

  • You mentioned that you're wondering what the problem is, which I assume means you're not getting interviews. As far as I can tell, your resume seems fine, just not very strong. You got a 3.5 GPA averaged over the last 3 semesters, but a 3.0 overall. If I was going to "reconstruct" your GPA, that means we're looking at an average of 3 semesters of 2.5s, with 3.0s on the rest. More likely the spread is different, but you get the point. You had to have at least quite a few sub-3 semesters.

-Your work experience is fine, but usually mid/back office type stuff, so not that strong, at least not enough to outweigh your weak GPA. And your extracurriculars seem mostly like jokes--it looks like you weren't actually too involved in anything in college. You have the minority thing going, but that's really about it, and you again, weren't really involved in any substantive roles in any minority clubs, which to some degree limits the usability of that. you could definitely afford to go into more detail on your ECs and work experience, and quantify things.

It's a tough year, and my guess is that you're probably just being outcompeted by other students at Dartmouth (which I'm assuming is your Ivy). Good luck though. Sorry if this was a bit harsh, just trying to give my honest opinion.

 
  • it doesn't really matter

  • i'm a senior; its a summer-program at the business school. i'm applying for FT positions

  • I had two 2.0 terms because of illness, everything else was higher than that, which is annoying, but it is what it is. but there isn't anything i can do about that - i have to have the GPA there and upward trends typically should be noted.

  • i founded a minority legal association that has actually been very successful and we've done a lot of things, but it signals indecisiveness (i applied to law school, then changed my mind) so i left it off. i've also done some other EC stuff, but i thought i'd leave more WE.

  • basically. actually, very few people have jobs. even kids with signficantly higher gpas. i have a friend at Harvard who has a 3.6 and he hasn't gotten anything, i know another kid at Columbia with the same gpa in engineering, hasn't gotten anything. it just sucks. i've been able to network my way into interviews in the past (Heritage is arguably the top conservative think tank in DC, so thats certainly not anything close to back office) but things are much different now

if you don't want harsh advice, you shouldn't be asking for advice. thanks for the candidness

 

I'm inexperienced, so take my comments with a grain of salt.

For GPA, try putting in major GPA instead. I'm assuming that is higher? 3.5GPA last 3 semesters just makes me think that you started taking blow off history classes after barely passing the analytical classes (your 'relevant' coursework doesn't help either). I'm a freshman and I'll have taken all those classes and more by the end of this year (random prob, stats, linear algebra, difeq, and operations research as well). I get it that I'm at MIT, but what courses do you seriously take? You must have more advanced, relevant classes to list rather than general economics/calculus if you're sincerely interested in finance.

Experience is quite good, no comments there.

Activites. You wrote 8 pieces in 4 years, surely you must be joking?

lacrosse-impressive

BBA-what was your role? did you just show up for a couple of events?

work study-tell more about skills acquired. It's impressive if you worked 40hrs/week during the school year while going to school full time. That could explain the low GPA, although it's somewhat nonsensical, Dartmouth provides financial aid, no? Why did you see it necessary to work 40hrs/week for a menial wage that cannot compensate for the salary that you forfeited had you spent that time studying and boosting the GPA. Makes me question your perspective.

say that you're proficient with microsoft office suite rather than just pp/excel.

 
MIT_ALGO_TRADER:
I'm inexperienced, so take my comments with a grain of salt.

For GPA, try putting in major GPA instead. I'm assuming that is higher? 3.5GPA last 3 semesters just makes me think that you started taking blow off history classes after barely passing the analytical classes (your 'relevant' coursework doesn't help either). I'm a freshman and I'll have taken all those classes and more by the end of this year (random prob, stats, linear algebra, difeq, and operations research as well). I get it that I'm at MIT, but what courses do you seriously take? You must have more advanced, relevant classes to list rather than general economics/calculus if you're sincerely interested in finance.

Hmm, good insight. My major GPA is around a 3.4 or 3.5 or something, I'd have to check, but its not significantly higher. Keep in mind, Dartmouth isn't MIT. Even if you're an Econ major, you only do general theory, no financial modeling or accounting or anything like that. And I'm more leaning towards consulting, but yeah I get your point.
Experience is quite good, no comments there.

Activites. You wrote 8 pieces in 4 years, surely you must be joking?

lacrosse-impressive

BBA-what was your role? did you just show up for a couple of events?

Hmm, good point. I wasn't that active. I'll replace that with the content.

work study-tell more about skills acquired. It's impressive if you worked 40hrs/week during the school year while going to school full time. That could explain the low GPA, although it's somewhat nonsensical, Dartmouth provides financial aid, no? Why did you see it necessary to work 40hrs/week for a menial wage that cannot compensate for the salary that you forfeited had you spent that time studying and boosting the GPA. Makes me question your perspective.
Dartmouth pays for your Tuition, nothing else. Books, clothes, Internships where you make 0 money and are living off credit cards that need to be repaid, etc...I don't have the luxury of not working full-time.
say that you're proficient with microsoft office suite rather than just pp/excel.
sounds good
 

With respect to the ECs, if you actually did well with that legal association, I'd say you should list it. I think it'd be less of an issue of "looking confused"; you could easily explain in an interview that as you got closer to the law, you realized it wasn't for you. But then talk about all the skills you gained from it, all the people you met, and so on. You don't have to mention that you applied to law school.

The problem with your EC section right now is that to me, it looks like you didn't actually do anything and were just listing things you were marginally involved in. If this wasn't the case (or hell, even if it was), you need to change that impression.

 
xqtrack:
With respect to the ECs, if you actually did well with that legal association, I'd say you should list it. I think it'd be less of an issue of "looking confused"; you could easily explain in an interview that as you got closer to the law, you realized it wasn't for you. But then talk about all the skills you gained from it, all the people you met, and so on. You don't have to mention that you applied to law school.

The problem with your EC section right now is that to me, it looks like you didn't actually do anything and were just listing things you were marginally involved in. If this wasn't the case (or hell, even if it was), you need to change that impression.

You know I spent so much time refining my work experience part, i never gave much thought to the EC part. thanks for pointing that out

 

-I think education needs to be better formatted, I don't know how intense the summer program is but you give nothing about it and I mean, it's a summer, seems like it should go under activities, or be a line item under Dartmouth. especially considering you haven't even started it yet, seems weird to have it where school location and grad date should go -I agree a lot seems back office, you do well at emphasizing the heritage foundation but could maybe play up the research assistant some more -I know what you mean, but even in IBD "targeted vulnerable members of congress" seems a bit harsh/cynical. frame it more positive, as in "identified districts with positive indicators for Republican victory" or something along those lines -the legal society should be on there, play up the minority aspect and it shows initiative, even if you didn't know ibd was what you wanted when you started, what you did want you were working for -the review: word count? seriously? don't give numbers of articles, give a few words on what the articles were on (your favorites) and why you were excited to write them. that way, the exact quantity of literature you put out is not a let down and you can hopefully interest someone -founding member of lax, maybe emphasize this more. what went in to that? finances, organization, etc... -Black business association: you can definitely do better than that bullet point. everyone discusses/attends, embellish these a little to "worked with junior members to develop career plan and identify interests and opportunities." -If any of your work study jobs are interesting/at all relevent, put down the title as well, and it is not an activity it's work experience, you can put it in that column. draw more attention to the fact that you didn't get a free ride through college, you've been working 80+ hours a week years now and maybe people will forgive a few points on the gpa -I'd put "Interests: ..." before the squash, golf, etc... -powerpoint is spelled "PowerPoint."

That's all I've got for now, the other recommendations were good and it's not a bad resume, it just needs to present a more compelling story

 
drexelalum11:
-I think education needs to be better formatted, I don't know how intense the summer program is but you give nothing about it and I mean, it's a summer, seems like it should go under activities, or be a line item under Dartmouth. especially considering you haven't even started it yet, seems weird to have it where school location and grad date should go

I'll just take it out completely...I can just name drop in a cover lettter.

-I agree a lot seems back office, you do well at emphasizing the heritage foundation but could maybe play up the research assistant some more

Ok i'll re-arrange. I have a question for you - I ran a charity in HS that was huge - voted Charity of the year by the Washingtonian huge - but while I've put in some face time over the last few years, I haven't really done anything meaty. Just some meet and greats and shaking hands and what not. Is it worth putting on?

Also, I raised around $5,000 for this non-profit in the area and coached some kids in tennis. I'm starting to think I should swap some of the other stuff out to put that in there...any suggestions? I feel some of the RA stuff is redundant

[/quote]

-I know what you mean, but even in IBD "targeted vulnerable members of congress" seems a bit harsh/cynical. frame it more positive, as in "identified districts with positive indicators for Republican victory" or something along those lines
haha well politics is harsh, buddy. but i get your point.
-the legal society should be on there, play up the minority aspect and it shows initiative, even if you didn't know ibd was what you wanted when you started, what you did want you were working for
great points. I'll devote some space to it.
-the review: word count? seriously? don't give numbers of articles, give a few words on what the articles were on (your favorites) and why you were excited to write them. that way, the exact quantity of literature you put out is not a let down and you can hopefully interest someone
thanks for the pointers.
-founding member of lax, maybe emphasize this more. what went in to that? finances, organization, etc...
I had nothing to do with anything substantive. I just showed up to some of the meetings required of new clubs and went to practice, games, etc. But I'll figure out a better way of putting that.
-Black business association: you can definitely do better than that bullet point. everyone discusses/attends, embellish these a little to "worked with junior members to develop career plan and identify interests and opportunities."
I did 0 with this group. I haven't even gone in awhile. I'll just take it out. its just filler, to be honest
-If any of your work study jobs are interesting/at all relevent, put down the title as well, and it is not an activity it's work experience, you can put it in that column. draw more attention to the fact that you didn't get a free ride through college, you've been working 80+ hours a week years now and maybe people will forgive a few points on the gpa
I did a lot of work with alums, does that count? Its worth it
-I'd put "Interests: ..." before the squash, golf, etc... -powerpoint is spelled "PowerPoint."

That's all I've got for now, the other recommendations were good and it's not a bad resume, it just needs to present a more compelling story

Again, thanks for the tips. really appreciate it
 

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