C's get degrees but

[sam_gordon]

I find it interesting that anyone can say, either way, that "most" employers do or so not ask for transcripts. We can all say whether or not "most" employers we have worked for asked, but I can't imagine that any of us is qualified to say that "most" employers in the US do or don't ask. How would we know that?

Because this is the DIS!

 

[Mkrop]

It has been a while since I was in college or grad school but I do not recall a single test that was straight regurgitation of what was taught. Often, they were papers as finals or essay questions. A scenerio was described and you needed to apply what you learned in the class to interpret or solve for the issue at hand.

It is all academic as a C average resume would never have reached my desk for review. They would immediately be discarded. I have no problems with that. I want the kids out of college who got As in Finance to be creating the financial models for my clients and the ones that got As in English to be writing my decks and copy. Not the C students.

For management/executive positions, all top employers (Apple, Google, Goldman, Mckinsey, Disney, GE, etc.) are looking for the A students and not considering the Cs. While their may be some exceptions to the rule (never discount the power of a KILLER cover letter), that is the way things work.

I was a Finance major, graduated in 1991 and I had at least 2 classes where I reguritated the material back on the tests because no one could understand a word our Asian professor was saying. I got As in both of his Finance classes, so while that helped my overall GPA and my major GPA it did not help with my understanding of Accounting and Finance. My real world experience helped me much more to understand the intricacies of Healthcare Accounting than my degree did.

 

[NotUrsula]

I think that when that "C" student also shows a resume with a LOT of work experience all the way through school, then an employer would be a fool not to at least consider the application. Dumping every applicant with under a 3.5 GPA is incredibly shortsighted.

What about the kid who worked his way through school doing two jobs? I did: I had a work-study job (in my field) in the daytime and waited tables at night and on weekends: I worked about 40-50 hours per week. My GPA with a double major was 3.48, and I graduated in three years. Would anyone REALLY think that my solid B average wasn't the result of putting in effort?

As for O-Chem, I wasn't a STEM major, but I roomed with three of them during college, dated one for three years, went to undergrad AND graduate school at two of the most well-regarded petroleum engineering schools in the country, and have been in administrative positions at research facilities for half of my working life. EVERY person I know who had to take organic chemistry suffered through it: IME it is the generally regarded as the acid test of any chemistry or engineering school. The guy that I dated in college is now the dean of a major engineering school. He finished his Ph.D at 23, and he held 6 patents by the time he finished undergrad -- trust me, he was no slouch. Even he found O-Chem to be a grueling challenge, and managed to scrape out an A only because of the curve.

 

[ols386]

I think that when that "C" student also shows a resume with a LOT of work experience all the way through school, then an employer would be a fool not to at least consider the application. Dumping every transcript with under a 3.5 GPA is incredibly shortsighted.
What about the kid who worked his way through school doing two jobs? I did: I had a work-study job (in my field) in the daytime and waited tables at night and on weekends: I worked about 40-50 hours per week. My GPA with a double major was 3.48, and I graduated in three years. Would anyone REALLY think that my solid B average wasn't the result of putting in effort?

As for O-Chem, I wasn't a STEM major, but I roomed with three of them during college, dated one for three years, went to undergrad AND graduate school at two of the most well-regarded petroleum engineering schools in the country, and have been in administrative positions at research facilities for half of my working life. EVERY person I know who had to take organic chemistry suffered through it: IME it is the generally regarded as the acid test of any chemistry or engineering school. The guy that I dated in college is now the dean of a major engineering school. He finished his Ph.D at 23, and he held 6 patents by the time he finished undergrad -- trust me, he was no slouch. Even he found O-Chem to be a grueling challenge, and managed to scrape out an A only because of the curve.

That's a good point.