2008 Woodie Awards
GPA and the Non-Grad School Bound
Kelly Castino
Issue date: 10/23/06 Section: Life & Times
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Many psychology majors, business majors, and political science majors will most likely go beyond undergraduate school and further his or her education with a master's degree or PhD. However, what if a person decides to forego further education, does his or her GPA really matter?
Future employers do not just look at an applicants GPA, they also consider other factors when considering a potential employee. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Job Outlook 2005 survey, 70-percent of hiring managers do report screening applicants based on their GPA, but the majority of the group's cutoff is a 3.0. In addition to an applicant's GPA, the company may also look at extenuating circumstances. For instance, if a person has to work and go to school at the same time to pay for college, or even extracurricular involvement. Are you involved in a several different organizations? Or are you fully involved in one different activity like theatre, or a sport that takes up all your time? Do you work to support your college education and, therefore, have trouble keeping a superior GPA?
Another way to look good for future employers is by doing an internship. In order to get an internship, a person does not have to have the highest GPA from a superior school; instead, all the person needs is a drive for success that he or she shows throughout the interview. There are many opportunities available to juniors and seniors for credit, and if you are interested in an internship, go to the Office of Career Services at Rollins College in the Carnegie Building. If you are not a junior or senior, there are internships available but there is a chance that you may not get academic credit.
Not all professors believe that a GPA is the best standard for measuring a persons intelligence either. For one, Dr. Alan Nordstrom, Professor of English, stated, "I'd say that what's really important is your getting the best liberal education you can while you're an undergraduate, whether or not your GPA is high. Get educated, become the 'global citizen and responsible leader' Rollins wants you to be, and let your grades fall where they may."
Future employers do not just look at an applicants GPA, they also consider other factors when considering a potential employee. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Job Outlook 2005 survey, 70-percent of hiring managers do report screening applicants based on their GPA, but the majority of the group's cutoff is a 3.0. In addition to an applicant's GPA, the company may also look at extenuating circumstances. For instance, if a person has to work and go to school at the same time to pay for college, or even extracurricular involvement. Are you involved in a several different organizations? Or are you fully involved in one different activity like theatre, or a sport that takes up all your time? Do you work to support your college education and, therefore, have trouble keeping a superior GPA?
Another way to look good for future employers is by doing an internship. In order to get an internship, a person does not have to have the highest GPA from a superior school; instead, all the person needs is a drive for success that he or she shows throughout the interview. There are many opportunities available to juniors and seniors for credit, and if you are interested in an internship, go to the Office of Career Services at Rollins College in the Carnegie Building. If you are not a junior or senior, there are internships available but there is a chance that you may not get academic credit.
Not all professors believe that a GPA is the best standard for measuring a persons intelligence either. For one, Dr. Alan Nordstrom, Professor of English, stated, "I'd say that what's really important is your getting the best liberal education you can while you're an undergraduate, whether or not your GPA is high. Get educated, become the 'global citizen and responsible leader' Rollins wants you to be, and let your grades fall where they may."
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