I think it's different if you actually use it to contribute to the community, for example, assisting with the united way and helping to tutor high school children (I can't remember what the volunteer opportunities actually were =p)

But otherwise, I agree with Fight0, pretty arrogant =p

Okay, so Dr. Haddara e-mailed me back. Here's what he said about Golden Key:

"You should visit the GK website for complete details. A few highlights that I can give:
1. GK is fundamentally about recognizing your academic achievement, then about creating a network of academic achievers that interested in serving their community.
2. Some of the activities are just social to bring people together (e.g. bowling night), others are academic (e.g. prep courses for professional exams), service (e.g. tutoring middle school students), or to raise awareness of GK (e.g. information table at welcome week). The events that the chapter organizes are up to the members so the simplest way to get the events you want is to participate.
3. Nationally and internationally there are also other activities. The most obvious ones are regional and international conferences.
4. The scholarships vary widely. Some of them are limiting to one discipline, others are open."

I mean, in the end, it is like any other club, with socials and activities, but to pay 90 dollars is quite a stretch. If I were super rich, sure, but I'm a poor student. I'm just happy to note that I was in the top 15%. Dr. Haddara also said that the Registrar compiles a list of students that were in the top 15% and they forward it onto Golden Key.

As for adding it on my resume, yeah... maybe it would be like bragging. I think I'll wait until I graduate, and if I made top 15 throughout the four years, I'll add it in, but not after just first year.

Originally Posted by feonateresa

Okay, so Dr. Haddara e-mailed me back. Here's what he said about Golden Key:

"You should visit the GK website for complete details. A few highlights that I can give:
1. GK is fundamentally about recognizing your academic achievement, then about creating a network of academic achievers that interested in serving their community.
2. Some of the activities are just social to bring people together (e.g. bowling night), others are academic (e.g. prep courses for professional exams), service (e.g. tutoring middle school students), or to raise awareness of GK (e.g. information table at welcome week). The events that the chapter organizes are up to the members so the simplest way to get the events you want is to participate.
3. Nationally and internationally there are also other activities. The most obvious ones are regional and international conferences.
4. The scholarships vary widely. Some of them are limiting to one discipline, others are open."

I mean, in the end, it is like any other club, with socials and activities, but to pay 90 dollars is quite a stretch. If I were super rich, sure, but I'm a poor student. I'm just happy to note that I was in the top 15%. Dr. Haddara also said that the Registrar compiles a list of students that were in the top 15% and they forward it onto Golden Key.

As for adding it on my resume, yeah... maybe it would be like bragging. I think I'll wait until I graduate, and if I made top 15 throughout the four years, I'll add it in, but not after just first year.

You know, I don't see what the problem is with showing off your achievements. You're paying 7k a year in tuition alone, why the hell shouldn't you brag that you're at the top of your faculty. I mean, the whole point of a resume is to sell yourself... It's one thing to go to university and have a 4.0 average and barely get a degree, it's another thing to be at the top of your class and kick everyone's ass.

I'd put it on there.

Haha, maybe you're right actually. I'll definitely think about it next time I update my resume. ;]

It's hardly exclusive though. My envelope number was near the 900 mark. Not really worth it, unless they have awesome socials like every other week...

Originally Posted by Fight0

Yeah, it makes you look pretty pompous.

Frankly, throwing your GPA on your resume is much more pompous than writing that you were invited to join an academic club (like M.E.N.S.A. for instance). It's just saying "I got an A+ in this this and this course!" which means absolutely nothing to an employer. It's not like they really know what passes for a competitive grade...unless of course you're applying for a McMaster job.

Take home point: Why not just staple your transcript to your resume while you're at it?

Originally Posted by lawleypop

You know, I don't see what the problem is with showing off your achievements. You're paying 7k a year in tuition alone, why the hell shouldn't you brag that you're at the top of your faculty. I mean, the whole point of a resume is to sell yourself... It's one thing to go to university and have a 4.0 average and barely get a degree, it's another thing to be at the top of your class and kick everyone's ass.

I'd put it on there.

Haha, that's actually so true

Originally Posted by Mowicz

Frankly, throwing your GPA on your resume is much more pompous than writing that you were invited to join an academic club (like M.E.N.S.A. for instance). It's just saying "I got an A+ in this this and this course!" which means absolutely nothing to an employer. It's not like they really know what passes for a competitive grade...unless of course you're applying for a McMaster job.

Take home point: Why not just staple your transcript to your resume while you're at it?

Generally speaking, if the job you're applying for doesn't care about your GPA, it probably isn't a good one.

Originally Posted by PTGregD

Generally speaking, if the job you're applying for doesn't care about your GPA, it probably isn't a good one.

I would disagree... GPA is hardly a measure of anything other than a persons ability to study and retain information (at least up until a test, after which information may be lost). Any good manager knows this, and only considers GPA relative to other factors such as work experience, volunteer experience, etc etc.

Let's go even further and look 10 years down the road... are you still going to be flouting your GPA from your undergrad? Probably not... work experience, personality and other factors are much more important.

Originally Posted by Taunton

I would disagree... GPA is hardly a measure of anything other than a persons ability to study and retain information (at least up until a test, after which information may be lost). Any good manager knows this, and only considers GPA relative to other factors such as work experience, volunteer experience, etc etc.

Let's go even further and look 10 years down the road... are you still going to be flouting your GPA from your undergrad? Probably not... work experience, personality and other factors are much more important.

GPA is a helpful measure of an individual's determination and dedication, two traits you want for an employee. Obviously you need more than a solid GPA to land a job (Work experience/extra curricular), but if the job you apply for doesn't care about it at all, it doesn't bode well.

Employers for competitive (Read: Good) jobs need a way to quickly find the top applicants for it, and I'm sorry to say, but GPA is used to narrow the field.

And no, in 10 years your GPA won't matter, but by then you will hopefully have solid work experience which you got because of your GPA 10 years prior.

Originally Posted by PTGregD

GPA is a helpful measure of an individual's determination and dedication, two traits you want for an employee.

So is your club involvement, and volunteer experience...infact, those moreso demonstrate dedication, since the GPA is a severely flawed system (which is another topic of discussion). Namely because, as I'm sure you know, often times the most dedicated students get lower grades than the 'genius' students who flip 2 pages and ace their exams. Employers know this too.

Not to pull the old 'truth by intimidation' card, but I've worked with applications/resumes at an employment agency as a summer job 2 years back...and if someone threw down their GPA, it forced me to double-check for any other shred of determination and dedication (to keep with your word choice). Such people with extraordinarily high GPAs almost exclusively had exactly no extracurriculars...wh ich doesn't make a flattering resume, since employers go for well-rounded applicants.


So if you have extracurriculars...yo ur GPA is pointless, it gives no additional information when considering your extracurriculars and your (general) educational information. If you don't have extracurriculars...th en your GPA is your "Ace in the hole," ie. your last chance to impress an employer.


Hence, throwing down your GPA in addition to such qualities is pompous.

Legit work experience matters most.

Originally Posted by Taunton

I would disagree... GPA is hardly a measure of anything other than a persons ability to study and retain information (at least up until a test, after which information may be lost). Any good manager knows this, and only considers GPA relative to other factors such as work experience, volunteer experience, etc etc.

Let's go even further and look 10 years down the road... are you still going to be flouting your GPA from your undergrad? Probably not... work experience, personality and other factors are much more important.

I was hired with no lab experience, with multiple offers from different labs, because of my GPA alone. Down the road, it probably doesn't matter, but for undergrads and recent graduates it is important.


Granted I had extracurriculars, I just didn't bother to add them on my resume.

Originally Posted by Mowicz

So is your club involvement, and volunteer experience...infact, those moreso demonstrate dedication, since the GPA is a severely flawed system (which is another topic of discussion). Namely because, as I'm sure you know, often times the most dedicated students get lower grades than the 'genius' students who flip 2 pages and ace their exams. Employers know this too.

Not to pull the old 'truth by intimidation' card, but I've worked with applications/resumes at an employment agency as a summer job 2 years back...and if someone threw down their GPA, it forced me to double-check for any other shred of determination and dedication (to keep with your word choice). Such people with extraordinarily high GPAs almost exclusively had exactly no extracurriculars...wh ich doesn't make a flattering resume, since employers go for well-rounded applicants.


So if you have extracurriculars...yo ur GPA is pointless, it gives no additional information when considering your extracurriculars and your (general) educational information. If you don't have extracurriculars...th en your GPA is your "Ace in the hole," ie. your last chance to impress an employer.


Hence, throwing down your GPA in addition to such qualities is pompous.

Your only rebuttal seems to be that people with high GPAs have no extra curricular activities or work experience. Like I've always said, you need more than just a high GPA.

I don't know why you think you shouldn't put your GPA on your resume, since if you go to any resume critiquing session on campus, or for that matter, anywhere in the world, they would tell you to put your GPA on it.

Severely flawed or not, 9 times out of 10, GPA is used to narrow down the field of candidates for competitive jobs. Whether you agree with me or not, that's the truth. I'm NOT saying that gets you the job, but let's just say it gets your resume looked at for an addition 2-3 seconds, because in reality, recruiters only look at your resume for about 5-10 seconds at most. So enjoy writing your long list of extra curricular activities that probably won't even be read before they dismiss the resume.

....unless of course you're applying for McDonald's

do they look at your gpa for the year or your Cumulative Average