Do grades matter?

[ikibah]

I've been working my but off in a research class to maintain my 4.0 when the following thought occurred to me: DO GRADES MATTER? I have no interest in pursuing a doctorate after this as I plan on getting licensed an lcsw. Let me PREFACE I plan on CONTINUING to work my butt off to maintain my 4.0 regardless of the answer but in reality will I end up better off then the slouch who sits behind me sliding by with b-'s ??? Or is this a field where an MSW is an MSW.

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[submarine1991]

My second year field placement asked for my transcripts. I am certain that my future employers (the government) will ask for them too. I wonder if a student who has the B-'s will be passed over for the student with a 4.0. As an employer would you look at that? I am certain that an MSW is an MSW but I also think that if it comes down to two applicants, grades may very well be determining factor? Or maybe its just my experience from being in the military and evaluated for every minute detail. Let's hope others chime in. I am always excited when there is a new thread

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

My second year field placement asked for my transcripts. I am certain that my future employers (the government) will ask for them too. I wonder if a student who has the B-'s will be passed over for the student with a 4.0. As an employer would you look at that? I am certain that an MSW is an MSW but I also think that if it comes down to two applicants, grades may very well be determining factor? Or maybe its just my experience from being in the military and evaluated for every minute detail. Let's hope others chime in. I am always excited when there is a new thread

This. Don't slack. You won't regret it in the future regardless of your goals.

 

[ikibah]

Interesting. I definitely don't plan on slacking but I'm just curious as to whether or not employers actually look at transcripts...

 

[submarine1991]

I venture to say that they would. I know that federal jobs have piqued your interest... When you look at USAJOBS.GOV, most ask for transcripts as part of the application process

 

[ikibah]

Sub, that's a great call, now that you mention it I see it all the time. Thanks again.

 

[submarine1991]

Your perfectly welcome Ikibah

 

[WisNeuro]

Just as a point of reference. I work for the VA (government), and when we evaluate people for a variety of positions (intern, postdoc, staff), transcripts are required, but grades themselves are a very minor point. It really only comes up if there are red flags (i.e., straight up failed classes, bare bottom passing marks). We really don't care about the difference between a 3.5 and a 4.0 to be honest. At that point it's more about what people have done since grad school, the quality of their clinical training, or, if research is involved, their productivity. I don't know if SW is different, but I would be surprised if individual grades are weighed all that carefully.

 

[submarine1991]

WisNeuro, thank you for your insight. It offers an entirely new perspective

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Just as a point of reference. I work for the VA (government), and when we evaluate people for a variety of positions (intern, postdoc, staff), transcripts are required, but grades themselves are a very minor point. It really only comes up if there are red flags (i.e., straight up failed classes, bare bottom passing marks). We really don't care about the difference between a 3.5 and a 4.0 to be honest. At that point it's more about what people have done since grad school, the quality of their clinical training, or, if research is involved, their productivity. I don't know if SW is different, but I would be surprised if individual grades are weighed all that carefully.

Agreed with this (just to add to the sentiment). Grades may matter if you're looking at someone with, say, a 3.0 vs. a 4.0 due to the fact that most folks assume grad school marks to be pretty consistently inflated. However, if we're talking about a 3.5+ vs. a 4.0, then no, it likely won't matter much unless the person with the 3.5+ (as WisNeuro mentioned) had failed one or more classes.