It took a minute but I remember my college GPA. With how much money I’ve been sending off to colleges I’d have a hard time bringing myself to accept that it doesn’t matter!

I guess the more serious answer is, ”it depends.” School, major, and GPA can mean a lot if you’re applying to grad school. Same, as you look for your first few ”real jobs” assuming they’re at least slightly competitive. And in today’s job market, a lot of mediocre jobs have become competitive. As your resume builds with actual work experience, it begins to matter a lot less in most fields.

My goal with my kids is for them to understand the value of a good education and good grades so that they work to their potential, but stopping short of risking their mental health over it. That has resulted in a very different approach for each child.

If you ever wrote a résumé, used it more than once to get a specific job as you grew in your career seeking then ya you remember it. Life is a series of goals to hit. It's when you stop reaching for the next goal, things get hairy. I do recall when my offspring hit the marks of a certain test score/GPA/class rank how oh so important each was then you graduate and you are correct that goal is no longer the big deal. Maybe ask those that never hit those marks. Did it matter as they look back? Did a classmates higher GPA get them anything different than they got out of life???

My college was low but 3 years later I was admitted to a high ranked grad program. Actually two.

All due though to my work experience during college and after.

Interesting question. Is putting your GPA on your resume now a thing?

No, but I remember the best 24-hour restaurants for after the bars closed. Or during finals weeks.

Yes I do and it did help me get jobs right out of school at the time...as well as make it easier to get back into school for my graduate degree.

I don't remember any of my high school or university grades, but - strangely - I still remember my SAT scores. I don't know why.

" I always told my child it didn't matter what your GPA was, just acquire the degree. "

I think that's very short-sighted. It may not matter what their GPA was (depending on future goals), but there is a lot that matters beyond graduation and getting the letters after their name: They need to actually learn things, not just get the degree. Learn the material, learn how to study, learn how to research, learn how to think critically. Those things may or may not translate into their GPA, but they definitely matter in life. Often more than the degree itself.

Additionally, if there are future academic goals, their GPA might matter. I needed top marks to get into vet school, for instance, and if I had wanted to specialize, I also would have needed to worry about my marks/class ranking. The degree would not have been enough.

4.0 every semester, all the way through. I was obsessive about getting the highest grade in the class, and if I missed an extra credit question, I felt like I'd failed. Also, I was pretty depressed at this time in my life. I grew up sheltered financially, in a household where there was plenty of money but we never talked about it. I've always hated shopping, loved minimalism and didn't (still don't ) like living in a big house with all the trappings.

When I graduated, I didn't care how much money I made, as long as I could cover my bills. I took a lot of silly little jobs just because they piqued my interest. I became a much happier person once I decided to dumb down and lighten up. I eventually started my own small business that enabled me to meet interesting people, make a decent living and take a lot of time off.

I think college is good for people who are driven to a particular goal and need higher education to get there. But I also think school teaches the very dangerous lesson that it's OK to work very hard and not get paid for it.

“Interesting question. Is putting your GPA on your resume now a thing?”

Depends on how old you are and if it reflects well on you.

Jupidupi, I find your answer very interesting. I'm glad you found some real satisfaction in your life choices after college. Way more important in the scheme of things. I had no idea what I wanted to do after high school, so I chose to travel instead. But later, as an adult, I did go to college, just for my own satisfaction and took classes in subjects that interested me. I was happy to accomplish that goal. I graduated with honors. I didn't need the degree for my job and that was great too. I think finding something that you enjoy and is interesting to you is a big accomplishment in my book.

I do not remember my high school or college GPAs. Like Toronto, I still remember my SAT scores, but I know why.

I grew up with five brilliant older siblings and somehow became convinced that I was dumb. My two older sisters were straight-A students from first grade all the way through graduate school. They were exceptionally smart and exceptionally dedicated to their studies. The boys were also smart and did well in school, but not to the level of my sisters. For me, I did well in classes I liked or where I felt challenged. I drifted through classes that didn't keep my interest, which only maintained my illusion that I was dumb.

When I turned 16, my parents enrolled me in cosmetology school so I would have a career to fall back on if I didn't get into college, and frankly, to keep me busy. I still attended high school every day from 8:00 to 3:00 with an academic course load, and then went to beauty school from 5:30 to 10:00 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, plus 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturdays. Interestingly, my grades actually improved once I started beauty school. I simply didn't have time to procrastinate, get bored, or drift off course playing games or watching TV.

I remember my SAT scores because they were entirely unexpected. My scores were the highest of any of the six kids, and they earned me a partial scholarship when I eventually decided to go to college.

In reality, my GPA said less about my capabilities and more about how my brain worked. I got bored with subjects easily. I would do well at the start of the year, but if a class didn't continue to challenge me, the excitement wore off and my grades in those "easy" classes deteriorated. I learned in college that taking concentrated three-week classes was the key to my success. A standard 15-week semester often led to that halfway deterioration where I became bored, lost interest, and let my grades slip.

My sisters, both top-of-their-class 4.0 students, were much more steadfast and focused in their studies, and the same went for their careers. They set their sights on a goal and drove straight toward it. I, on the other hand, changed careers more often than most people change jobs. It took me a long time to find and become successful in my chosen final career. I could do a lot of different things, and I always started off in high gear—doing my job and doing it well—but I lost interest the moment I mastered it and found myself seeking a new challenge.

I eventually found my niche, but the delay did impact my long-term financial success and retirement funding. I often felt like a failure when I compared myself to my sisters, and I still recognize how much easier their lives are now because they had long, high-paying careers and better retirement funding. However, I also recognize that I am better off than many, and though my sisters were highly accomplished in their fields, they didn't get the breadth of experiences that I had. They were, and still are, more hesitant and fearful of new experiences or tackling things they have never done before.

I live with the mindset that there isn't much I can't learn or do if I set my mind to it. Over the years, I have been a hair stylist, a waitress, a bartender, a horseback trail guide, a paralegal, a real estate agent, and a hostile witness interviewer. I've been an entrepreneur owning and running a low-cost pet vaccination service, the Director of IT for a Humane Society, a worker in a battered women's center, and a volunteer for both a rape crisis intervention hotline and the statistical analysis team of a county suicide hotline. After working with various mental health systems, I finally landed on the statistical analysis of healthcare accessibility and outcomes for Medicare recipients.

While exploring all of these careers, I also grew roses and got my pesticide applicator's license when I needed restricted chemicals to treat them. I got two horses and learned how to train them. I became an active member of Emergency Animal Rescue and got FEMA certified in wildfire rescue. Through it all, I volunteered with a multitude of non-profits focused on socially impactful goals.

What did my GPA show? It showed that I was not as focused as my sisters. Is that important? It can be. Most people envy their level of success. I certainly would not have gotten into the graduate programs that they successfully completed. If you want that specific textbook trajectory, you need to be both smart and focused, and you need the GPA to prove you are worthy just to get your foot in the door. That focus will also help drive your career once you are inside.

Does this mean that if your child does not have a 4.0 they are doomed to failure? No. But it does mean their path to success may not be as linear, as financially rewarding, or follow the traditional textbook success story.

While I can’t remember at this moment what my 1982 undergrad GPA was, because it was high enough, I did not need to take the GRE when I decided to go to grad school in 2011. Also, I was able to have the Praxis waived in 1998 (or thereabouts) when we moved to another state because of my SAT scores scores. My past self worked hard and really came through for the future me.

Nope.

I do remember my spring semester of my sophomore year in undergrad as being much more about partying than studying, and my GPA that semester was very much bad. I do remember that number, will not share it. 😆

I thought my life was over. Also nope. Picked myself up, dusted myself off, still had a good time but more balanced, and it all turned out ok. No regrets here.

Vaguely - I think it was somewhere around 3.5. I was terrible when it came to homework, but always did very well on tests. My SAT was surprisingly high - but not on the math section. My language score made up for that, IIRC.

I believe things are very different now than they were when most of us were in school.

I've never had to put it on my resumes or job applications. I think Toronto vet is closer to what I was trying to say to her at some point. She was highly self-driven. She took both high school and university courses at the same time, started her first day or freshman year as a sophomore, because she had so many classes in her belt. I think it really begin to wear on her at some point and I came up with the idea of take some pressure off the grade, just realize you're learning something. May not be really evident even in the moment. I just can't imagine kind of pressure it would take to have a 4.0 all the time. Did pretty well, and it really hasn't made that much difference. Now, having a degree makes a difference!

I really liked this :)

"They need to actually learn things, not just get the degree. Learn the material, learn how to study, learn how to research, learn how to think critically. Those things may or may not translate into their GPA, but they definitely matter in life. Often more than the degree itself."

I agree with food.

Sucess at selective and highly selective colleges and graduate programs, the ones with the lowest acceptance percentages, can provide an advantage because admissions committees at graduate and professional programs, employers, and other types of training programs (like medical residencies) value demonstrated achievement at the hardest and most selective institutions. Admission is one, but strong GPAs, test scores, and also the school's reputation can make a big difference. .

Preparation requirements vary by field. Highly competitive employers often emphasize applicants’ credentials, accomplishments, and performance relative to their peers, just as educational institutions do. .

Ultimately, it depends on the field, program, and employer. Where competition is intense, educational background and academic success can matter greatly. For other jobs, the school attended may make little or no difference.