How much does GPA matter? (3.9 vs 4.0)

bzhang42
Sun, 12 Jun 2016 20:03:18 +0000

I believe the answer remains a bit more nuanced than characterized in the above responses, because we must remember that this is your sophomore GPA. Of course, a 0.1 decrease in GPA is not the end of the world, but your attitude of frustration isn’t a bad thing. If you treat the decrease as nothing at all, then perhaps next year, your GPA will be a 3.7, and then a 3.5, and so on. Your mindset must always be bent towards improvement, and frustration is but a symptom of your desire to improve yourself. Don’t lose that mindset; it will be what motivates you to keep trying your best, to ultimately get into your desired college.

Now, your question about whether this difference in GPA matters should be interpreted under the assumption that you ended first semester senior year with a 3.9 GPA. Compared to someone with a 4.0 GPA, no, the difference is trivial, and yes, your EC’s up to this point are much more important.