Listing GPA on Resume

We will be collecting all our profile evaluations and application review responses posted at GMATClub and other forums under the MyMBAAdmit thread to provide a single resource for our readers.

Undergraduate GPA on MBA application resume?



Hi TXT,

We meet again! Thanks for the Kudos on the previous post - much appreciated.

In response to your question on including your undergraduate GPA on your MBA application resume, I normally recommend that my clients do so. It's an additional data-point to evaluate your application, you are making it easier for the application reviewer to find, and if it's not hindering your application by being on the lower side (think of this as below 3.3 or so), then why not?

Sometimes, especially when the undergraduate major is relevant to MBA coursework and more importantly, when the major GPA tells us a better story than the cumulative GPA, I even urge my clients to include both.

In summary, unless it's a prominent weakness of your application, I would include it. If you are worried about using up a line you can always find ways to make it part of another line in the academic section.

Hope that helps. Feel free to post any follow-up questions in the Ask My MBA Admit thread in this forum.

Drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com for a Free Initial Consultation. Check out our Application Packages and Volume Discounts tailored to help with your admission needs.

TXTDryFly:
I would include your GPA on your resume as long as it is higher than a 3.0.

Also, remember that facts are nothing without context. So I would also include an approximate rank or percentile if you can back it up on the transcript. If you have a tough subject matter undergraduate degree from a tough school, you need to start painting this picture. A good starting place is the resume. Also remember that applications are read fast, so if you have an exceptional GPA, then it drives the point home a couple of times (you list it on the application and on the uploaded resume).

The resume is going to serve a couple of purposes in providing context during the whole application process.
First is on the initial review with the admissions committee reader. The second is with an interviewer. Relisting key information is going to be critical with interviews that are conducted blind as well. If they don't see it on the resume, it is going to be a question mark. If you don't mention it when you walk them through the resume (common for blind interviews) then it looks funny. Just get out in front of it (good or bad) and let the interviewer know what it is. Otherwise it gets annoying for the interviewer to ask a rudimentary question (what is your GPA?).

Also, I question the assertion that your GPA is going to take up one line on your resume. It should not if you format correctly. If you need a few b-school resume templates to demonstrate what I am talking about, I can provide. Please PM me and I will email them over to you.

Respectfully,
Paul Lanzillotti

Listing a GPA on a resume has one basic purpose - to provide a quantifiable datapoint that is an easy way of categorizing the academic section of a student's profile. If your GPA is 3.3 or above (or, a B+ or above), this is viewed as a strength of your application. You would want to draw a reviewer's attention to a strength as many times as possible. Hence, listing it on the resume makes sense.

If your GPA is below that and hence not a strength of your application, you have multiple options: don't list it, list only the favorable aspects (Major GPA or Senior GPA), or list the favorable aspects with the Cumulative GPA.

If you don't list it, you may be able to avoid immediate scrutiny and capture the interviewer's attention with a well-written, targeted resume instead (this is where we can help with our Resume Critique service). If you list only the favorable aspects, you raise the question of why you aren't listing the Cumulative GPA, since this is the most common way of including academic credentials. If you list both, you still succeed in drawing attention to the favorable aspects while making sure you are meeting the reviewer's expectation of wanting to see your Cumulative GPA.

As an additional point, if a lower undergraduate GPA is a concern, there are multiple ways of dealing with it. Slicing and dicing the GPA as mentioned above is one option. Including an explanation in your optional essay, as well as - very important - any remedial steps you are taking such as extra coursework to be better prepared for MBA classes, is another way.

Post a follow up question in the Ask My MBA Admit thread or drop us a line at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com for a Free Initial Consultation. Check out our Application Packages and Volume Discounts tailored to help with your admission needs.

TXTDryFly:

Just wanted to provide a free resource as I do not know if you plan on boosting your GPA by way of taking additional coursework though CEUs.

If you need a list of pre-mba courses designed to boost your GPA and that can be taken online or off, please reference the following list of classes:

https://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/mba_r ... u-courses/

I hope this helps. Please let me know if you need anything else.

Respectfully,
Paul Lanzillotti

TXT:

Although we don't know if you indeed need help with your GPA - since you haven't explicitly said , pre-MBA courses taken at a community college, online or at for-profit schools do tend to be an excellent way to do both - boost your transcript and help you demonstrate character by showing responsibility. Although, in your case, the long work experience from a young age hardly necessitates the latter!

All the best! Email us at mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com if you would like to discuss further.

My Major GPA was a 3.3, the average of all 3000-4000 level courses I took during undergrad.

I appreciate the help!

TXTDryFly:
A couple of quick questions for you (if you don't mind) as not all GPAs are created equal.

What was the major and school (or a comparable school)?
Was your last 2 years GPA higher?

Respectfully,
Paul