Do you think that graduating from college with a low GPA is the end of the world?

If a student graduates with a degree in something like biological anthropology, archaeology, forensic anthropology, or cognitive psychology and a cumulative GPA below 3.0, does that mean that he or she will never be able to get a research assistant job or get into a Master's program? I was surprised when I read that Bradley Voytek got into neuroscience grad school with a 2.5 undergrad GPA. I don't know how this could be possible because I believe that graduating from college with a mediocre GPA is the end of your life.

 

It really depends on the graduate program, their applicant pool, and the way they judge applications. If they put more weight on research experience, work experience, recommendations etc. over test scores and GPA, GPA doesn't matter as much. Unfortunately, though, most programs care more about GPA and test scores, as those give them good statistics to report to higher-ups. For an Anthropology student, yes, a good GPA is a necessity if you intend to go to grad school (and what else would you do with that degree?). Sometimes awesome GRE scores can carry a mediocre GPA, but try to maintain above a 3.5 to be considered for the *best* grad schools out there. If you can't manage that high, you likely are unprepared for the workload of grad school anyway.

 

I think the title of the thread is misleading given the OP's discussion, but whutevar.

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I graduated from college with a high GPA and it has done almost nothing for me.

Outside of academia, people aren't really impressed with some inflated number.

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Funny story: Went to interview with a famous law enforcement agency, guy asked about my GPA.

"Very high--why didn't you get a 4.0?" Correct answer was: "Fuck you, what was your GPA?"

I did not give the correct answer and instead suggested that I wasn't a genius.

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Real life-enders: Lacking technical prowess, mediocre soft skills, not being willing to network and the inability to dress like an adult or show up on time.

 

As my friend @plan9 has stated, GPA doesn't really mean much outside of academia.

Some researchers are good enough to know that some kids may not learn as well in a classroom, but be super awesome in a lab. People learn in different ways. Being booksmart isn't always a good thing if you don't know how to apply it or make the right connections.

When I used to work for a college of science, my job was to find interesting stories to entice donors to fork over cash to various programs. I found this kid who didn't have the best GPA, but was awesome in a lab. His PI said he was one of the best assistants he had ever had. The kid was even a co-author on a major publication. The student as since graduated and is own to graduate school. His recommendation from his PI and the fact that as an undergraduate he co-authored a paper was WAY more enticing than his GPA.

 

Yes, I am so depressed about my GPA that I feel like ending my life. I am graduating from college with my Bachelor's degree in Anthropology next semester. My cumulative GPA is only 2.5 because I had below a 2.0 during my freshman and sophomore years. However, I had a 3.8 during my senior year. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do now to change the past. I cry every second wishing that I could go back in time and study harder in college. I lost interest in everything, stay alone in my room all the time, and didn't go out for like six months. I am interested in working for a museum, a historical society, an archaeological research center, a primate conservation center, or a national park. I live in NYC. I am passionate about human and primate evolution, osteology, population genetics, Mesoamerican archaeology, Viking archaeology, and the archaeology of ancient China. I think that I ruined my future and I will never be able to get an entry-level job or get into a Masters program. Most employers ask for college transcripts and no one will hire someone who graduated with a 2.5. I don't want to end up stuck in retail or flipping burgers. Do you think that my life is over because of bad grades in the past? I am so tired of being stressed out and worried about my future that sometimes I feel like jumping off a bridge.

 

Don't do that. You'll wind up regretting it as soon as it becomes irreversible.

See, that is the perfect trajectory to have, if you're applying to grad school. Admissions people understand this stuff.

If you can't get a job in those areas right away, you should sign up as a volunteer. In NYC, there are many, many opportunities for this. Once they get to know you and your interests and skills, your college transcript will fade away as any kind of consideration.

It's important to stay in the field you want to work in, if you can -- even if only as a volunteer.

I'm pretty sure you're mistaken.

 

After your first job (in your field), no one gives a shit about your GPA. College is just evidence that you are trainable.

 

If we're sharing GPA stories, I should add that I never got great grades, not in high school, not in undergrad, not in law school, and not in grad school. But here I am, years later, with a wonderful job and a great salary.

 

10 years later and I don't even remember what my GPA was.

If you are so concerned about it, just take one year of the easiest classes you can find. I took rock climbing and golf in college....

 

I only remember that I graduated undergrad with a 2.96 because it pissed me off.
I took upper level classes as a sophomore and didn't do well. Plus, I hated stats even then.
I currently have a 3.98 in my PhD classes and it doesn't mean shit. Which also pisses me off.
Because I had a 4.20 for three semesters. Then I stopped caring that I got an A- instead of an A+ and realized that some profs just grade hard.
Life is not over. I got into a master's program with a 2.96 and into a PhD program with a 3.9.
Neither program really cared about my GPA because my coursework kicked ass where it counted.
Oh, and screw Statistics.

 

I'd be more worried about you major than your GPA at this point... even a 4.0 in Anthro is just another piece of paper in something that'll likely get you nowhere until you're 6+ years into college debt.

You had garbage grades for two years due to depression or being a teenager or whatever and your final GPA is somehow a surprise? That's confusing. I guess my point is that college is unlike high school in that you pay for it.

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Constructive criticism would follow along the lines of those above: You have to network and work around the gaping hole that is your GPA. People will care less about your GPA if they know you and your work ethic and products personally.

Another thing to remember: A good 50% of jobs outside academia only care that you have a college degree--a degree in anything--and will hire you based on it as it supposedly demonstrates that you can read, write, operate a computer, follow instructions and all that other 13th Grade (TM) soft skill stuff. I was rapidly (retardedly) promoted up through the ranks in my first job out of college because I knew how to operate the Microsoft Office suite and had enough common sense to convey technical things to people that were not experts in my field. Think about what you bring to the table aside from your current worries over your arbitrary GPA: Languages, knowledge of specialty software / equipment, public speaking, etc.

@Martian doesn't even have a college degree and he's like 67% smoother than the majority of this forum.

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You're the reason people hate these threads. There is no extended scale.

Indeed. With a fork.