No.
Showing you can solve business problems through experience is more valuable.
If you went to Berkeley with a 4.0 but don’t have any compelling stories or success examples, it won’t help much in interviews.
No. Plenty of people with high GPAs are outworked and out-earned by people who had lower GPAs.
Only for grad school. Otherwise, all that matters is that you graduate.
There’s a joke in law and engineering school:
C students make the big money.
B students scrape by.
A students go on to teach.
I graduated with a 4.0 and honors, and yet I feel like I’m failing.
The keys to climbing the corporate ladder: Communication, leadership, and kissing up.
Of course, you need to show some competence to get the job first.
What do you call the person who graduated last in their med school class?
Doctor.
As others said, a high GPA helps get your foot in the door. But I’ve found that those with high GPAs sometimes struggle at jobs that aren’t purely research-based. If you’re hiring for entry-level HR, a 3.0 student might be a better fit.
In my experience, 4.0 students love direction and often aim to please, which can make them less flexible in a business environment. Sometimes being good enough quickly is more important than being perfect over a longer timeline.
If success means just getting a well-paid job, then probably not. That’s only the start of success. If you see landing a job as the end goal, you might not find long-term success.
Connections can be more valuable. But if your grades show you’ve learned well, they can help in the long run.
I stopped stressing about my GPA a quarter into my studies, and I’d still consider myself successful. At 30, I’m working part-time, while others are working full-time until 65.
From what I see, people with high GPAs often want to please others, which means they’re making their bosses successful, not themselves. I don’t see how working over 240 days a year is ‘winning.’
I had a 3.49, and I would’ve gotten honors if my school counted my summer courses. I know people in my field who had better GPAs.
Success is different for everyone. A business major with a 4.0 might earn more than an engineering major with a 4.0 and have less stress.
For me, the GPA itself isn’t the key—it’s the skills I learned while striving for good grades. Things like time management, prioritizing, and balancing work and life.
GPA doesn’t mean much. My BA GPA was a 2.12, but my MFA was a 4.0.
Now, I’m published in my field and working in a completely unrelated area (IT) making good money.
If you’re planning on grad school, then yes.
sign said:
If you’re planning on grad school, then yes.
Especially true for med school. You need top grades to get into a state-supported program, and if they’re average, you might have to pay more to go abroad. Same goes for vet schools, law schools, and any competitive grad program.
Nope. No one cares about your GPA unless you’re going for a master’s or something.
Me, with ‘just good enough’ grades to get a degree, and my classmate who was salutatorian? We live in the same duplex. Take that how you will.
GPA only really matters if you’re planning to go to grad school.
In my 15-year career, not once has my GPA been asked about. The only requirement for my master’s was a 3.0. I’m in education (secondary and an adjunct college role).
Why does no one define what they mean by ‘successful’?
Earning more than average?
Moving up quickly to executive roles?
Being distinguished in academia or in the community?
Ronald said:
Why does no one define what they mean by ‘successful’?
Earning more than average?
Moving up quickly to executive roles?
Being distinguished in academia or in the community?
I’d say success is more about making good money and being valuable to companies.