Who would you rather hire? Someone with a 2.0 GPA at an Ivy League University? Or someone with a 4.0 GPA from a State University? ©Quora

I’ll take the candidate with a 4.0 GPA from a state university and it’s not a close call.

Candidate #1: 2.0 GPA at an elite university.

The candidate who got into an elite university and then earned a 2.0 GPA used to be a terrific student — when they were in high school. But I’m not looking for someone who used to be terrific five or six years ago. I’m looking for someone who is terrific today.

The low GPA, after a lifetime of earning good enough grades to get into an elite university, is a red flag in two separate ways.

It indicates that the student has rotten work habits.
It indicates that the student failed to master the material they were supposed to be learning.
What happened to this person when they hit college? Were they too lazy to go to class? Did they spend all their time partying? Do they have a drug or alcohol problem? Whatever caused this student to earn a 2.0 GPA, it’s a serious problem. We’re not looking at a single, anomalous bad semester that doesn’t reflect the student’s true capacity. We’re looking at someone who underperformed for four solid years.

Candidate #2: 4.0 GPA at a state university.

The candidate who graduated from the state university may or may not have been a viable candidate for admission to an elite university when they were in high school. But I don’t care about the grades they earned five or six years ago. The only thing I’m interested in is what kind of candidate they are today.

The high GPA, earned over the past four years, indicates two things.

It indicates that the student has excellent work habits and good time-management skills.
It indicates that the student mastered the material they were supposed to be learning.
That’s the kind of applicant I want to hire.

Link: https://www.quora.com/Who-would-you-rather-hire-Someone-with-a-2-0-GPA-at-an-Ivy-League-University-Or-someone-with-a-4-0-GPA-from-a-State-University

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