<p>Is graduate school (medical and law more than business) the only reason for one to maintain a good GPA? I have heard that once you graduate your GPA will not matter and that most companies prefer to look at your ECs instead of your GPA. So my question is, what are the benefits of trying hard and having a good GPA besides graduate schooL?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Some schools will not allow you to study abroad or give you internships unless you have a certain GPA. Also if you have or need a scholarship you must maintain a certain GPA.</p>
<p>Apperantly, some companies use your GPA when hiring, but it won’t be something that will make-or-break you. Obviously, if you have a good GPA, you should be showing it off on your resume, so that’s a good reason right there.</p>
<p>If you’re not going to strive to do the best you can and learn as much as you can, then why even go to college?</p>
<p>^ yea but theres a difference between actively striving to maintain a good GPA (…sacrificing a social life) and having a mediocre GPA</p>
<p>Getting a 4.0 over a 3.0 can mean the difference between getting that interview at Morgan Stanley and not getting an interview at all.</p>
<p>Yeah that kind of company will generally have a cut off GPA at 3.5 or so, in order to reduce the amount of interviews they have to carry out.</p>
<p>I think that MOST companies ask for GPA when hiring a student right out of college.</p>
<p>Didn’t put my GPA on my resume and was only asked it at ONE interview - and it was not the company I was hired at… and I got hired by a fortune 100 company.</p>
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<p>Maintaining a good GPA does not equal no social life.</p>
<p>Unless you’re at MIT. lol</p>
<p>haha, yeah thats a classic case of correlation not causation</p>
<ol>
<li><p>money – if you want to apply for some scholarships/awards</p></li>
<li><p>looks good on a resume – usually as a student you list it on there</p></li>
<li><p>easier to get a good undergraduate job – as an undergraduate if you’re a dishwasher no one would care – but if you’re applying for something more sophisticated (and well-paying), your employer might inquire – especially if you’re applying to work on-campus for some professor – the professor might ask for your transcript and then go course by course though it (i’ve been through that treatment twice now) – some job postings even state that people with gpa lower than 3.0 or 2.8 or something like that are not welcome to apply</p></li>
<li><p>employment once you graduate - usually your skills are most important but sometimes employer asks for gpa or transcript - most usually they are interested in your knowledge and ability to present yourself</p></li>
<li><p>grad school – for medical school your GPA directly correlates with future success in that establishment – for some other graduate schools, there is a 3.0 cut off, but GPA and success do not correlate in the least bit</p></li>
<li><p>makes parents happy and less annoying with their constant “you have to study, study more” over-the-phone lectures - your parents can have the ability to check your gpa</p></li>
<li><p>gives overachievers a sense of overachieving</p></li>
<li><p>and finally gpa correlates with learning - and you go to college to learn - gpa is one of incentives to push yourself that extra mile - it is like a club to hit laziness on its ugly head whenever it shows up</p></li>
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<p>Also, bear in mind that if you get a high GPA, you may graduate with Latin honors at your university… giving you a more prestigious degree. This can then be put on your resume.</p>
<p>DanielJ is right. Even if no one pays attention to your college GPA, they will see that you graduated magna or even summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, etc.</p>
<p>Also most schools have opportunities like study abroad and honors distinction that are only open to students with high GPA’s. Then there are prestigious fellowships - the Rhodes, the Watson, the Fullbright, etc - for which GPA matters.</p>