Some students stopped worrying about their G.P.A. the day they opened their college acceptance letters. But Chelsea Reichert ’10 thinks the dreaded decimal shouldn’t be forgotten.
“Good grades are important. Parents are paying for their kids to go to school, and they want to see good grades,” she said.
The wrath of angry parents is as good a reason as any to hit the books, but so is the idea that companies who employ Fairfield grads also consider the G.P.A. before hiring students.
Cathleen Borgman, director of the Career Planning Center, said that a less than adequate G.P.A. is a “deal breaker” for some employers.
“If kids are below the (G.P.A.) cutoff for a company, they are shot down, no questions asked,” said Borgman.
About 70 percent of companies that hire students right out of college confirm, in most cases, that they make their cutoff for employees at a G.P.A. of 3.0, said a careerebuilder.com article. However, most employers do not filter their applicants based solely on grade point averages.
Joe Schoonbeek ’09 feels that a student’s G.P.A. is “very important for getting a job, and employers definitely consider it when hiring graduates.”
Sara Bouley ’09 agreed.
“G.P.A. matters to an extent. Kids don’t need a 4.0 to get a job, but they can’t have a 1.9 either,” she said.
While G.P.A. appears to be a universal measuring stick, Borgman said other factors are taken into consideration.
“Employers do take the level of difficulty of the classes taken into account when looking at GPA. They also consider the how difficult a school Fairfield is,” she added.
Careerbuilder.com highlighted employers who focus on students’ extra curricular activities and internships when reviewing job applications. Special attention is also paid to students who hold steady jobs as a way to combat high college tuitions.
“Grades as well as other activities are both important,” said Emily Krawiecki ’09, emphasizing the need for a balance. “You can’t have one, without the other.”
Borgman agreed: “Employers won’t hire a student just because they have a 4.0. Companies look for a well-rounded person, who shows leadership skills and worked well with others. Teamwork is very important.”
Students such as Brittney Goncalves ’09 share Borgman’s opinion.
“Employers should look at GPA because it reflects on how well you performed in school. But I also think that participating in internships and other activities and still having a high GPA makes it all the better. They can see that you can manage your time doing both.”
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