[Anonymous]

How common is it for big 4s to revoke FT offers due to lower grades in last semesters? Has anyone ever had experience with this? Or have been contacted by the firm to discuss this?

Worried sick over here. Advice is appreciated!

[Spartans92]

Hey Ef I am on the same boat but was told as long as you have overall 3.25 you are in good shape. Hopefully, your grades are high enough!

BEC- PASS

[Anonymous]

Thank you Spartans,
sorry to hear you are in the same situation. My firm did not specify an exact gpa so I'm pretty nervous, hopefully that gpa is the case for me because my gpa is above that. They did call me recently to ask about my grades. Is this a standard procedure? I'm so nervous.

Good luck to you

[Son]

ef1929, what was/is your GPA? does your offer state explicitly what GPA you need to maintain? what was the minimal GPA posted in the job description when you applied (usually around 3.2-3.3)?

AUD - passed
REG - passed
BEC - passed
FAR - passed

[Son]

ef1929, the score is usually the same for the whole school – so if you can find a posting about internship openings etc. it would be a good indicator of the minimum GPA your firm is looking for. Inquiring about scores is a standard procedure. They also usually request a copy of your transcript to be sent to them directly by the school.

Lastly, not to offend you or anyone else, but I've seen close to a dozen posts on this exact same subject in the past year. Why would you let you grades drop in the first place? If you have the same attitude at work you'll get fired after the first busy season cycle. FT offer is nothing but a first step, get your head out of the clouds – you may feel superior to your classmates who didn't get a spot with a Big4 now, but I hope this experience reminds you to stay humble and above all work hard. You will be starting at the very bottom of the totem pole, please don't jeopardize your career by slacking off and being arrogant, nothing annoys your supervisors more than that.

EDIT: please don't read the last paragraph as directed at you personally – you didn't provide details on the reasons you GPA dropped so it's hard to tell. But as I've mentioned this question gets posted way to often.

AUD - passed
REG - passed
BEC - passed
FAR - passed

[Spartans92]

@Son, it is very hard to say since everyone's circumstances is different. I did try my best perhaps not hard enough though to have my Grades drop primarily in accounting. One reason is because the classes are getting harder and I am taking multiple accounting courses so to balance that out was hard and yes I know I should not use this as an excuse. But I do also have several friends that have the luxury to take one accounting class per semester so it varies. Second, I am a care giver to my aunt so I have to travel over an hour back home every week to do the weekend shift because I have been committed to that for the last 7 years. Again, that should not be my excuses but all this contributed to my drop but I was still able to graduate with a 3.5. Just my perception as long as we pass this exam that's all that matters. We all know we won't know much first year at the firm. I am with a regional firm in the Midwest not the BIg4 (did get offers) but didn't like the so called “culture” too many hours and people I interviewed with were not as friendly.

I do agree with everything you say. We should learn from this experience. At this point I would not worry too much nothing you can do. Just study hard for the CPA and pass and learn from your mistakes even if you fail. Look at my AUD score (yikes).

BEC- PASS

[Futility]

Ha ha you're worried sick over that
A lot of people can't get jobs now, and since 2007
I presume your parents and grandparents both applied to one job and worked there making 40k a year with just a high school diploma, and don't understand present times and are constantly nagging you to get a job and treating you like a bad person because you don't have one?

BEC: 84
REG: 85
FAR: 87
AUD: 2/29/2016

[Pete]

Man, you guys had a 3.2 min gpa? My school's min gpa for PWC was a 3.4 a few years ago. In college, I was BARELY able to even get a first round interview with a 3.4 GPA, but couldn't even get past that point.

2010, the year I graduated was the first year the BIG 4 rescinded offers, which they had previously offered, due to the economy. Unfortunately, once I graduated, I was never able to get into a larger public firm, only a small firm for 5 months, so now i'm headed back to grad-school, unfortunately.

B=84 This exam was such a b**** that I thought I failed-don't know how these things work
A=76 Slacker I am, I'll happily take it
R=81 I LOVE taxes
F=80 I don't wanna get banned for an expletive I'm thinking with "yea" proceeding it

[jlee1086]

Normally, Big 4 firms have a 3.2 minimum for grad school (MBA programs for those who change careers). I'm assuming 3.4 is for undergrads.

MBA programs put the easiest courses in the first semester so that firms will get a good first impression of you. Mine started in summer. People in my class debate whether fall or spring is the hardest but the point is, it's VERY unusual for your grades not to drop. While I think undergrads have more freedom to choose classes, I'm sure later years are harder than the first. I don't remember what the any firm's minimum GPA was after you got the offer but no one I know had them revoked. I did know of someone who actually turned down Deloitte without having anything else lined up.

FAR 57 (11/2014), 64 (1/2015), 79 (7/2015)
AUD 68 (2/2015), 79 (11/2015)
REG 79 (1/2016)
BEC 81 (4/2016)

[Son]

@Spartans92, 3.5 GPA shouldn't be a problem – especially in your case since you had a reason for not being able to commit your weekends to studying. But I've seen people posting here whose GPA dropped below 3.

@Ratfus, it depends on your school. More reputable school = lower GPA permissible (I think the lowest one I've heard about is 3.0), less known school/weaker program = higher GPA required to be considered.

AUD - passed
REG - passed
BEC - passed
FAR - passed

[Pete]

Thought my school had a solid program, since 3/4 big.4 firms did on campus recruiting there. Could be wrong though. I'm not really changing carers, I just kinda got Pigeon holed into private. I do think the MBA programs might have a lower GPA requirement, sincE at that point, you have 150 credit. Hours, which is desirable to most firms. I think this region might just be more competitive as well (ny area)?

Oh well, best Thing for me to do is finish off this exam and go to grad school. Past is the past.

B=84 This exam was such a b**** that I thought I failed-don't know how these things work
A=76 Slacker I am, I'll happily take it
R=81 I LOVE taxes
F=80 I don't wanna get banned for an expletive I'm thinking with "yea" proceeding it

[B2RAD]

I was contracted to go work for non big four but one of the biggest Middle Market Firms with “great work life balance” hint hint hahah

my GPA fell to a 3.0 when I graduated and I also worked at other companies after my offer was in my hand because I was determined to pay for my undergrad in cash, most people respected this but the firm did not when it was all said and done.

my offer contract said “sufficient academic achievement” which who knows what that means. I had a meeting with my team partner in May of 2015 to talk about why the 150 credit hours was taking me longer than the average young 20s student, and it was the most awkward lunch I ever had with a business professional. I was grilled for 30 minutes about everything, why I worked other places, why I bought a newer car, why I was not rushing my 150, etc etc. they asked for my CPA plan and transcripts, I sent details on everything as I am a Type A Planner and two weeks later the HR lady called and said my offer was revoked because of grades….. I called BS cuz I think it was due to other political factors outside my grades. I left it very professional and said thanks for the call and opportunity (aka paying crazy amounts of overtime for two tax season heheh) she seemed really taken back like I would have been more conflicted about it but with 2 years of accounting related work on my resume, I have only had grades come up once in interviews after that.

my partner felt bad, took me to lunch after the HR call and said there was nothing he could do and I that I should not have worked other places. he said he knows I will be very successful and that he doesn't get to work with such career driven young people straight out of school. most are focused on trips, PTO, etc. I just kept it professional and thanked him for all the guidance during my two tax seasons. But everything happens for a reason, I am now a staff accountant in a small firm making the same amount of money with less stress than my friends that work at that firm now. I am working on the exam first then finishing my MAC. when I tell other professionals the story, they laugh because in another year, no one will care about grades and no one really cares now.

the best part was the firm called career services at my college saying they wanted more people with accounting experience applying to their positons and lowered there GPA requirement to 3.2 and the lady said she brought up how they let me go when I had everything they wanted but a slightly under GPA.

the firm said I can always re-apply when my grades improve but I am happy with smaller firm life, get more experience with different elements of the accounting services.

Brad

AUD - 69 (1/6/16) 69 (10-4-15)
FAR - Spring 2016
BEC - 73 (11-23-15) Retake plan Spring 2016
REG - Summer 2016

[Pete]

Yip, know the pain B2RAD. At the smaller firm I was working at, they hired me, WHILE I had other offers on the table. Ended up taking over 10k less and more hours at the accounting firm (40k for the northeast, while pulling 60 hours/weeks is relatively low). After tax season (6 months, started in January), without warning, I was told the chemistry “wasn't working.” No poor performance reviews, just “goodbye.” They started talking about “more responsibility,” during the goodbye meeting, which got me excited, I was being promoted, but NOPE. Because of this incident, i'm going to get the MBA and 150 credit hours, so that I can get a position in a larger firm and avoid this volatility so to speak haha.

B=84 This exam was such a b**** that I thought I failed-don't know how these things work
A=76 Slacker I am, I'll happily take it
R=81 I LOVE taxes
F=80 I don't wanna get banned for an expletive I'm thinking with "yea" proceeding it

[B2RAD]

@Ratfus that seems really crazy! I have never heard of a smaller firm just saying goodbye like that. I guess it all comes down to the firm. some people have better luck with big and others have better luck with small. I got into accounting to be more entrepreneurial. once I get some good experience under my belt I want to start helping little start ups with the accounting side and see if I cant find my way into more a CFO role. public is great while I am younger but I see myself in more of an entrepreneurial role long term

Brad

AUD - 69 (1/6/16) 69 (10-4-15)
FAR - Spring 2016
BEC - 73 (11-23-15) Retake plan Spring 2016
REG - Summer 2016

[Author]

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