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
bump
Sorry about that no reply bro, WSO is tough
fall intern or boost GPA (Originally Posted: 08/18/2008)
I am going to by a junior at a semi target. I have a 3.3 in Math/Econ. I am completing a internship at a hedge fund this summer, where I learned very little actual finance. Not sure as to whether I want s/t or ibd
Should I do a Fall internship at a small/unknown investment bank/PE/Hedge fund or should I boost my GPA to a 3.4
I know that 3.3 is very borderline, which is why i ask
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
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
Get as most relevant experience as you can since you need something to balance out that GPA
I think experience is the best. That way, not only to you have something really solid on the old resume, you're also doing yourself a great favor: narrowing down what you like. Some might disagree...but I believe that's the most important part.
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.
I second the notion. Getting as much relevant experience as possible is going to make you stand out more so than a higher GPA. Not sure what your ECs look like, but getting involved with more can never hurt.
the gpa boost seems much less significant. good luck
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
What is your work experience and did you have an internship the past summer? Also are you a senior or junior? If you’re a senior with a 3.3 and no work experience then you have to be realistic about your prospects. If you’re a junior I would work on bringing that up to a 3.5 by senior year and get some relevant experience.
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?
Should I intern during the school year if it has a chance of hurting my GPA? (Originally Posted: 12/13/2017)
I am a sophomore with little/no real finance experience and need some resume padding. I am currently applying for an internship that is with a small wealth management firm that I am pretty confident will accept me. It is 5-10 hours a week during the semester and I will be taking 16 credit hours. Anyone have experience doing something similar and was it worth it?
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.
I'm in a similar boat. I realize that 5-10 hours a week isn't much but I am also involved in my fraternity and will be doing a lot of physical therapy next semester for a recent ACL surgery. Nonetheless, I want to do this internship.
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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