Grades and Student Travel, Etc

[Chris Fultz]

Originally Posted by Kelly

While it's true that participating in FIRST won't get you a top college, is that really the most important thing? There are plenty of decent colleges out there, and anyone resourceful enough to build a robot in six weeks should be able to find one that's right for them. Also, I have never heard of any employer asking a college-educated potential employee about their high school GPA. In the long run, the hands on experience from FIRST is way more useful than straight A's.

When you apply for scholarships, GPA will likely be a determining factor. Why, people who award scholarships want to help students succeed in college, and one of the best indicators for that is demonstrated academic ability in high school.

When you apply to colleges and universities, you will find that many of them use your GPA as a first screen. Why, if you cannot do the high school work, then you probably cannot do the college level work. The study skills need to be learned early and carried through. So, GPA is very important. Other activities, including FIRST, are part of the next level review. You have to pass the first screen to get looked at for the second screen.

When you are ready to graduate from college, many employers will use where you went to school and your college GPA as a screen. If you are not above some level, your resume won't even get reviewed. Then they will look at other involvement and activities and decide if they would like an interview with you.

Also, most major companies do not recruit from every college in the country - they simply cannot afford to. They go to schools where they know the programs and know the quality of students that are graduating - so getting into a "top school" vs. a "decent" school can have a profound impact on the rest of your life.

In the long run, it is a balance of school work (keeping score by GPA) and other activities (family, faith, volunteering, clubs, teams, etc.) that will allow you to succeed.