Improve GPA vs Off-Cycle Internship

Hey all,

Looking for some advice on best next steps. I am currently in the process of interviewing for an off-cycle internship (during the Spring) that is semi-related to finance (they do modeling, and my role would be as a consultant). I have one concern though. My GPA is currently a 3.63, and by the end of this semester it will hopefully be edging into the 3.65+ range. If I were to take next semester off, I would obviously be stuck with that GPA (slightly below a 3.7) for Junior SA recruiting. So my questions boils down to this: would it be more worthwhile to not take the semester off and (probably) get my GPA above a 3.7, or more worthwhile to have another internship experience on my resume (even if it is not directly in finance)? If it matters, I had an internship at a HF last summer and I will be interning at a top 10 AM firm over the summer.

Thanks

 

If you can, try to shoot for both. It will be a challenge, but it will be worth it in the end. Personally, I'd go with the internship, I think it'll weigh much more than .1+ points on your GPA. The experience will be golden

 
anon101:
doing both would be physically impossible as I would have to take extra classes to get to 3.4 and the internship would only be part time maybe 20hrs/week

I would go with the internship. Having that experience, I think, outweighs .1+ points added to your GPA. 3.3 -> 3.4 isn't THAT significant

 

As a junior, your performance can still have a strong impact on your gpa...work hard and get it to a 3.5 for FT recruiting your senior year.

And yes, take the internship opportunity. Plus, you can do your hw in the commute. Cheers.

 

the gpa boost seems much less significant. good luck

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan
 

I don't mean to hijack or anything, but I'm also around a 3.3 right now. I plan on trying to bring it up and get an internship (I have 2 days off a week), so I was wondering what kind of financial places would accept someone with my low GPA?

Thanks

 

I am a Junior and and did a summer internship at a hedge fund. no other substantial work experience aside from random min wage jobs to buy food and shit

Does my gpa matter after I get an internship offer though? From what I understand my GPA is basically meaningless for FT hiring in comparison to internship

I was just planning to boost it during fall semester before internship interviews

Would it be beneficial to bust myself to get it to 3.5 by end of entire academic year?

 

Yes, I highly recommend that you intern, in a lot of cases the experience you have on your resume outweighs the .2-.3 difference in GPA. Rarely anyone takes a 4.0 kid with no financial experience, over a 3.5-3.7 kid with solid experiences. Best to be as well rounded as possible

 

5-10 hours? Definitely go for it. I'm a sophomore, and this past fall I interned at a PE firm doing 15 hours a week -- it was DEFINITELY manageable. However, I was also pledging a business fraternity at the same time, shit got ugly, but I was able to successfully maintain my GPA.

 

5-10 hours while taking 16 credits?! Do it!

Not to be a "uphill both ways" type of post but this past semester I worked 50-60 hours per week while taking 18 credits. It definitely sucked but you can absolutely pull off an extra 5-10 hours per week. Also, the experience will likely help you in your classes. A lot of times you'll see in class something that you have seen for real at your internship and you'll grasp the concepts a lot better.

 

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