C's get degrees but

[sonnyjane]

What field are you in? It is interesting to see which fields are grade and GPA driven and which ones are not.

First job was as a PR account exec, second and third jobs were as biologist/naturalists for tour operators, and current job is as a professional animal trainer at a zoo. These aren't academic jobs so I'm guessing that's why I've never been asked.

 

[sonnyjane]

I also think this is a relatively new thing. So, no, 9 years ago you would not have been asked. And since then, you have had 9 years to build a resume. It is today's graduates that are entering a much more competitive arena and GPA is now being used as a method to weed candidates out.

College grads are competing with experienced people due to the past job downturn. Hence, companies using GPA's to evaluate.

That's a good point about it being a recent thing and the resume making up for it.

 

[LisaR]

Good catch

Edited - just looked it up and a few colleges in Canada have Principals.

So, maybe in Canada, grades don't matter as much.

Just noticed the Canadian location. Definitely seems like they do things differently there because grades matter a lot more in the USA. My DD plans on going into a field that I wouldn't call competitive or popular, but the GPA for grad school admissions are just as high as if she was going into a competitive field. On top of that, most schools have told her they get about 100 applications and they only let in from 12 - 16 a year depending on the school. I'm guessing those with a C aren't getting in.

 

[declansdad]

Just noticed the Canadian location. Definitely seems like they do things differently there because grades matter a lot more in the USA. My DD plans on going into a field that I wouldn't call competitive or popular, but the GPA for grad school admissions are just as high as if she was going into a competitive field. On top of that, most schools have told her they get about 100 applications and they only let in from 12 - 16 a year depending on the school. I'm guessing those with a C aren't getting in.

Grad schools work off of GPA but that isn't employment and academics like to protect their turf. Before changing careers I was working on my Masters in Adult Education, I had 10 years in the field at that time but my advisor was a 27 year old PhD with no experience outside of the university and very little time in a classroom. She had great marks but nothing else.

 

[LisaR]

Grad schools work off of GPA but that isn't employment and academics like to protect their turf. Before changing careers I was working on my Masters in Adult Education, I had 10 years in the field at that time but my advisor was a 27 year old PhD with no experience outside of the university and very little time in a classroom. She had great marks but nothing else.

I understand the difference. The point is, a C student isn't going to get into grad school and, in the case of my DD, her undergraduate degree will be useless without an MA. If she can't get into grad school because of her grades, she will have to apply at Starbucks and I am guessing they won't care if she got a bunch of C's!

 

[Hrhpd]

Grad schools work off of GPA but that isn't employment and academics like to protect their turf. Before changing careers I was working on my Masters in Adult Education, I had 10 years in the field at that time but my advisor was a 27 year old PhD with no experience outside of the university and very little time in a classroom. She had great marks but nothing else.

So, you are saying that in Canada, employers could care less about how a student actually did in school, only that they finished and got their degree?

 

[Asherry25]

I was an undergraduate management major, and had to provide Gpa and upload transcript as part of a pre screen process for every job I applied to (mostly consulting jobs) - and this was in 2000. Also had to provide them to work in higher Ed administration, and, now, to work as a HS guidance counselor.

In my state, there is a minimum gpa to be certified in any education field, and most colleges enforce that gpa at an earlier level, using it as a weed out. At my own undergrad university, there was also a minimum cumulative gpa AND major gpa for every major to get your degree - 2.5 for each. Not stellar (and certainly a road block for job hunting), but still better than a straight C.

Also, from working in graduate admissions - I can certainly tell you that C's are a road block for graduate admission - and I did NOT work at a prestige school. It was sad to see the number of recent grads with low GPA's who couldn't find jobs and thought they could just go on to get another degree, only to find they would need to take a significant number of additional credits at the undergrad level first to try to raise their cumulative gpa. Good luck, when you've already got 120 credits of mostly C's.

I would also advise that students at CC aim for better than C's. Just because the C will transfer to get course credit doesn't mean a gpa in the low 2.0s will get you in, regardless of major, and its not going to get you a transfer scholarship. When I worked in admissions, we did have many audition based programs. The auditions were most important, but if students were more or less even, the gpa would matter. BFA's and BM's are not easy degrees, especially when coupled with performance demands, and we always erred on the side of the better academic student who would be more likely to make it through all aspects of be program.

 

[declansdad]

I understand the difference. The point is, a C student isn't going to get into grad school and, in the case of my DD, her undergraduate degree will be useless without an MA. If she can't get into grad school because of her grades, she will have to apply at Starbucks and I am guessing they won't care if she got a bunch of C's!

I get what your saying. My point was that not everyone needs to have a graduate degree. It takes many different people to run the world and many of them were C students.

 

[LisaR]

So, you are saying that in Canada, employers could care less about how a student actually did in school, only that they finished and got their degree?

Based on my 15 y/o son's school performance this past year, it might be wise to ship him to Canada for college and a job after he graduates!

 

[LisaR]

I get what your saying. My point was that not everyone needs to have a graduate degree. It takes many different people to run the world and many of them were C students.

I absolutely agree with you on this point! I am certain that C students have plenty to contribute. I just think it is unrealistic to think that a person can go to college, walk out with mostly C's, and then get a job in their field. There are certainly exceptions, but I think the exceptions make up a very small percentage.

 

[declansdad]

So, you are saying that in Canada, employers could care less about how a student actually did in school, only that they finished and got their degree?

No I'm saying that there is more to how you did in school. If you finish a degree you have shown yourself capable of understanding and learning. An employer will also want to see what other skills you bring to the table.

 

[NYEmomma]

DH & I overheard our neighbor tell his teenage son the he doesn't care whether the boy gets C's or D's in school... "grades aren't that important". DH & I near fainted!

We're not C's & D's kind of people... we're the type of people that will ask our daughters why the didn't get ALL A's when they bring home report cards with one B on it. It's one thing to struggle in a subject and to continue to struggle in it as long as you recognize your short-comings and actively seek out help from either us or a tutor. It's another thing entirely too be lazy.

Have our high GPAs and Honors diplomas and fancy cords at graduation gotten us ahead of an average person? I doubt it. Our teeny tiny house and teeny tiny budget are saying "no. Definitely not." But we're not the type of people to accept mediocrity, especially when rooted in laziness. We place a very, very high value on education.

 

[declansdad]

DH & I overheard our neighbor tell his teenage son the he doesn't care whether the boy gets C's or D's in school... "grades aren't that important". DH & I near fainted!

We're not C's & D's kind of people... we're the type of people that will ask our daughters why the didn't get ALL A's when they bring home report cards with one B on it. It's one thing to struggle in a subject and to continue to struggle in it as long as you recognize your short-comings and actively seek out help from either us or a tutor. It's another thing entirely too be lazy.

Have our high GPAs and Honors diplomas and fancy cords at graduation gotten us ahead of an average person? I doubt it. Our teeny tiny house and teeny tiny budget are saying "no. Definitely not." But we're not the type of people to accept mediocrity, especially when rooted in laziness. We place a very, very high value on education.

It is sad that you would consider a B mediocre.

 

[sonnyjane]

DH & I overheard our neighbor tell his teenage son the he doesn't care whether the boy gets C's or D's in school... "grades aren't that important". DH & I near fainted!

We're not C's & D's kind of people... we're the type of people that will ask our daughters why the didn't get ALL A's when they bring home report cards with one B on it. It's one thing to struggle in a subject and to continue to struggle in it as long as you recognize your short-comings and actively seek out help from either us or a tutor. It's another thing entirely too be lazy.

That was my parents' attitude with me in high school. I think I got one B+ and had to explain myself. The pressure was unbearable. I was relieved to go away to college where I didn't have to deal with my parents and their constant pressure about grades.

 

[Janepod]

It is sad that you would consider a B mediocre.

I got a B in American History sophomore year of high school and my parents made me retake it in summer school. I retold that story many times over the years, thinking it was far from normal, and I can't count how many people have told me they had similar experiences.

 

[tasha99]

I understand the difference. The point is, a C student isn't going to get into grad school and, in the case of my DD, her undergraduate degree will be useless without an MA. If she can't get into grad school because of her grades, she will have to apply at Starbucks and I am guessing they won't care if she got a bunch of C's!

This is true in my field--I don't think a lot of speech therapists have to show their grades to get a job, partly due to the shortage, and partly because in order to get the degree, you had to get in (and stay in) grad school. Plus, licensing is most of it--a degree with no license isn't worth much. To get the license, you have to pass a competency test (Praxis for speech language pathology). There are still some school systems that hire Bachelors level assistants, though.

Getting into grad school for speech is as much about volunteer/internship experience and GRE scores as grades. I talked with one of my professors once about what they looked for, and she said they valued high GRE scores over grades because grades are so subjective. Who is to say that a C from a difficult school is worth less than an A from a school with a lower quality student body?

I get what your saying. My point was that not everyone needs to have a graduate degree. It takes many different people to run the world and many of them were C students.

Agreed. In my grad school experience, the people who had to retake a class due to a poor grade made it through. The person who couldn't get along with supervisors during clinicals was the one who was ultimately dropped from the program (we started with 22, 1 dropped, about 4 graduated later due to having difficulty with the pace).

 

[Cindy B]

Employers don't ask for transcripts.

Although, if you are in a field that requires letters of recommendations, better grades would help, I think.

All of my employers have requested transcripts.

 

[Granny square]

Lol, the only time I had to show transcripts was when I went to work for the college where I had received my degree.

 

[sam_gordon]

DH & I overheard our neighbor tell his teenage son the he doesn't care whether the boy gets C's or D's in school... "grades aren't that important". DH & I near fainted!

We're not C's & D's kind of people... we're the type of people that will ask our daughters why the didn't get ALL A's when they bring home report cards with one B on it. It's one thing to struggle in a subject and to continue to struggle in it as long as you recognize your short-comings and actively seek out help from either us or a tutor. It's another thing entirely too be lazy.

Have our high GPAs and Honors diplomas and fancy cords at graduation gotten us ahead of an average person? I doubt it. Our teeny tiny house and teeny tiny budget are saying "no. Definitely not." But we're not the type of people to accept mediocrity, especially when rooted in laziness. We place a very, very high value on education.

Wow, a B on a report card (with the rest A's) = "mediocrity"? I'm sorry, I feel for your children if that's the kind of pressure you put on them.

 

[MrsDuck]

"C's get degrees" was the motto for a lot of my friends during university. They're all, for the most part, sucessful adults with professional jobs. As a PP suggested, no employer asks for transcripts...

I got a C in math. I hated the subject and for me a C was an awesome achievement.

HOWEVER, I think C's can hurt you depending on what field you want to go into... we have a friend whose girlfriend didn't get into medical school and she was told it was she got a C in one of her classes (good way to weed people out!).