is it better to bulk up on extra curricular activities or get a perfect 4.0? i am balancing the two but want to know if anyone knows how schools think about them. i know grades are important but if we have a normal GPA for the field should we do extra curricular or sweat to get a drop higher? might not get any higher and will get the resume to prove the effort.
My personal opinion and observation is that the extra-curriculars look more impressive on a resume than a 4.0 GPA, assuming the GPA is not substantially lower. Grades are not necesssarily the best reflection of a person’s ability – only of his or her ability to memorize or learn information. Talent and commitment to doing a good job, are far more indicative of someone’s potential for success. I know geniuses who are still foundering all their lives. They never got a grade under an A+, but neither did many of them develop the skills or personality to do the type of job that many grad schools are seeking for their students. If I were a person in charge of making decisions of acceptance and had only one spot open, I would be far more interested in the Sociology or Psychology major who actually spent time working with people in crisis, than those who had the highest GREs or SATs, but never gave of themselves to their community because they were so busy getting all 4.0s.