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Listing GPA on resume?

M

Mashed Potato

Senior member
My grandfather retired from Mitre a few years back and still knows some of the big wigs. I gave them my resume, and they asked to send a new one with my GPA on it. My concentration is 3.3 and my overall is 2.9. Should I leave out my overall GPA on the resume? If so, should I label the 3.3 as "Major GPA". I have read a few articles but cannot decide.


As of now it reads like this:

Concentration GPA 3.3/4.0; GPA 2.9/4.0


Does the 2.9 look like an eye sore, or is it close enough?

Would it look worse to leave it out? They could assume it is lower than it is.


Thanks for all the input in advance.


-mashed
 
Normally, I'd suggest you leave it out. But since they specifically asked for it, it means they'll be looking at it. Trying to get around it by listing only your Major GPA could be construed as misleading or that you're trying to hide something. I'd send it with both listed, but leave out the "/4.0" bit. No sense in calling more attention to it. GLTY
 
I guess this your first job out of college?

If GPA >= 3.0; then yes; else no. I have had many people to tell me that.

In this case, you were specifically asked to have your GPA on the resume, in which case i would go with "Major GPA 3.3." not the overall 2.9.

I think its a mental thing, even though it is a 2.9, the leading 2 will throw people with how things are "$19.99" not "$20"
 
I have known a few companies that base most of their hieing criteria on gpa, but the first 6 months there is going to classes to learn their system.
 
Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

So, what's the job?
Click to expand...
My grandfather still talks with this guy quite often, and he mentioned that his grandson just graduated and is looking for a job. The guy asked me to send him a resume, and then asked to send him a resume with my gpa on it......and here we are! I think/hope it is more of an "I'll find a spot for him." type of deal. My grandfather was no joke though, all kinds of top secret operations, and I still can't get the stories out of him. Stupid secrecy oath!!



-mashed
 
Very odd that they are asking for the GPA, but they did so I say you only go with the 3.3 concentration GPA. Take out the "/4.0" part and specify the 3.3 as your "Concentration GPA" so you are not lying if they ask about it.

Odds are, they will see the 3.3 and not say a word after that. Even if they do, it will be much much better to tell them in person after making your first 60 second good impression than it is for them to see it in writing.


***EDIT***

For any other job, leave the GPA out unless they ask for it.
 
Thank you everyone for the input, the /4.0 is coming out and only the concentration is going in. Now I have to wow them in my interview!


-mashed
 
If you leave off your overall GPA they're just going to assume it's below 3.0 anyway.

And it makes you look like you're dumb enough to think they'd fall for that.
 
Originally posted by: mugs
If you leave off your overall GPA they're just going to assume it's below 3.0 anyway.

And it makes you look like you're dumb enough to think they'd fall for that.
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Exactly. I'd be wondering if it's in the 2.0 - 2.5 range.

2.9 isn't really terrible, you should include it.

Be ready to explain that you just weren't interested in any of the classes outside of your major / concentration. It's a strike against you, but not a fatal one.
 
I would leave it off. I worked at the Engineering Career Center, and they told students to leave it off if it was below a 3.0 GPA.
 
Also, I never understand why someone's Major GPA is generally better than their Overall GPA. My Major courses were fucking hard! The extras required by the major were dead easy to make As in, so my Overall GPA ended up being a few grade points higher than my Major GPA (both well above 3.0).
 
Originally posted by: Safeway
Also, I never understand why someone's Major GPA is generally better than their Overall GPA. My Major courses were fucking hard! The extras required by the major were dead easy to make As in, so my Overall GPA ended up being a few grade points higher than my Major GPA (both well above 3.0).
Click to expand...

I have always done better in the sciences than other courses. My math SAT score was 80 points higher than verbal. Learning new programming concepts has always been very easy for me.

Now, if I had majored in English Literature, I'd be saying the same thing you are - my major courses were hard! But I didn't major in English Literature, I majored in what I was good at - computer science. The classes WERE very hard. For other people. Not for me. Because I majored in something I was good at.

My major GPA ended up being .2 higher than my overall GPA... a sizeable difference considering that my major classes accounted for over 2/3 of my credits.
 
Originally posted by: DaWhim
What about undergrad and graduate? which one should I list? my undergrad is .1 point higher than my grad gpa.
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I would list just the grad GPA since it's more recent.
How exactly do you have a lower grad GPA than undergrad anyhow?
 
Put your overall gpa. If they wanted your concentration gpa, they would have asked for that.

With a grad degree, i doubt they will ask for gpa esp. if you did research thesis.

If they wanted gpa, I would only list the most recent overall. I wouldn't put my high school gpa there, or my elementary school gpa for that matter :laugh:
 
Originally posted by: Safeway
Also, I never understand why someone's Major GPA is generally better than their Overall GPA. My Major courses were fucking hard! The extras required by the major were dead easy to make As in, so my Overall GPA ended up being a few grade points higher than my Major GPA (both well above 3.0).
Click to expand...

I dunno... I majored in applied mathematics; had A's in every class while students who claimed to have been valedictorians in their high schools were pulling C's in many of those classes.. But, I put in 10x as much work in some of the non-math classes just to pull off a B+. My weekly homework: Math: 5 hours Other homework: up to 30 hours.

Then again, I think math is an incredibly easy subject - if you're good at it. No novels to read, no 20 page papers to write... Heck, for an intro to sociology class, my final project had to be something of a caliber that was nearly able to be published in a sociology journal. I must have spent 15 hours in jails just documenting graffiti for a 20 page paper.
 
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Safeway
Also, I never understand why someone's Major GPA is generally better than their Overall GPA. My Major courses were fucking hard! The extras required by the major were dead easy to make As in, so my Overall GPA ended up being a few grade points higher than my Major GPA (both well above 3.0).
Click to expand...

I have always done better in the sciences than other courses. My math SAT score was 80 points higher than verbal. Learning new programming concepts has always been very easy for me.

Now, if I had majored in English Literature, I'd be saying the same thing you are - my major courses were hard! But I didn't major in English Literature, I majored in what I was good at - computer science. The classes WERE very hard. For other people. Not for me. Because I majored in something I was good at.

My major GPA ended up being .2 higher than my overall GPA... a sizeable difference considering that my major classes accounted for over 2/3 of my credits.
Click to expand...

I was Architectural Engineering, which had its fair share over overly difficult professors and courses. Advanced Structural Analysis is no walk in a park.

Regardless, I made 50/50 As/Bs in major. But for my non-major courses, I made all As and one B. The B was in a graduate level astronomy class that dealt with astrophysics and was 100% theory.
 
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Don't put major GPA. They didn't ask for that. They asked for the GPA. 2.9 isn't that bad.
Click to expand...

Agree. Don't play games with major vs overall. As for those guys saying companies don't look at GPA, they're wrong. Especially for new grads. An overall above about 3.2, you can pretty much expect the person to be someone that tries hard regardless of the challenge. I.e. if you can do well outside your area, you can certainly do well in your area. Below about 2.8 and the person either partied a little too much or had some extenuating circumstances like family committments that they better be able to explain...

My 2 cents for free.
 
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