Whichever educational goals you decide are right for you, do not underestimate the impact that your report cards and transcripts will have on the rest of your life. For the high school student thinking about college, good grades and high SAT scores can determine whether or not you get accepted to a top notch University. Once you are in the University of your choice, it doesn’t stop there. You need to continue to work hard and study, especially if you decide to pursue higher education. If you simply get a bachelors and enter the workforce, prospective employers will view and scrutinize your transcripts, since it is very likely that the job you are applying for is highly competitive. So, if you are cruising through school and doing enough just to get by, not only are you squandering investment that you’ve made, but you are also harming your future career prospects. If you want a better chance to succeed, you need to try as hard as you can. Your career might depend on it.
SAT / ACT Scores
Every high school student who is interested in attending college must take at least one of these exams. The score has a strong impact on which colleges you will be able to attend. However, it doesn’t stop there. Having high standardized test scores can have a strong influence later in life, especially if you are applying to a highly specialized job. You can display high scores on a resume or application, as it will bolster your chances of getting hired. Many of the big banks on Wall Street, such as J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, etc., look at these scores when they are choosing their applicants. For jobs that are highly competitive, having high test scores can be an excellent way to stand out from the pack. So, if you are considering taking one or both of these exams, do you best to prepare and study, because having a strong score can give you an excellent advantage when you are trying to find your dream career.
College Transcript
So many students just do the bare minimum to scrape by and graduate, but they do not think about the long term impact of these decisions. Sure you can land an entry-level position, and you might get lucky enough to have hiring managers that aren’t concerned with how well you did in college. However, if you have aspirations to ascend to higher skilled positions, they will start to analyze your transcripts. Those bad grades will be a flag. The more competitive the job, the more likely they are to access this information. So, you want to be preemptive and set yourself up for a positive result if you find yourself in this situation. If you don’t have good grades and you’ve graduated from school, we aren’t saying that success is impossible. In fact, some of the most successful people in the world didn’t exactly have the best grades in college. Bill Gates, for example, dropped out of school. However, it’s always in your best interest to get good grades and try your best, because it will help you when you are applying for a competitive job. You want to squeeze every last drop out of your college investment. If you have some classes that you didn’t perform well in, and you are still in school, consider retaking them. Most colleges will replace the old grade with the new grade, and it will show how committed you are to success.
If you aren’t the best student, you should still try hard to get the best grades you can, because in the end you will show that you are committed to your educational goals. However, if you choose classes that you are truly interested in, then getting good grades shouldn’t be a huge issue. Just always remember that college might be fun, but your future is at stake. You need to try as hard as you can so you have a better chance of landing the job you want after you graduate.
Matthew Welch
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