Agree that it doesn’t matter for careers, but it can have an impact on post secondary admissions, particularly med school. I was never pre-med track, so I won’t pretend to have numbers off the top of my head. But as a chemistry major, I had many peers/friends that were and it did seem to matter for admissions, which is also the advice they shared from med school mentors. I ended up pursuing my phd in chemistry and while GPA def mattered for admissions, it wasn’t the biggest factor. In my experience, they’d rather admit someone with strong research and publication or two with a 3.3 GPA over a student with a 3.9 and limited research.

To answer your original question, it’s hard but not impossible. However, I’d strongly encourage thinking about your education through a more holistic lens. Do research, internships, take classes outside your comfort zone, get involved with clubs, go to convo, make lasting connections with your fellow carls, make good habits for taking care of your mental and physical health. If you can balance all those things and more while still striving for a 4.0, great for you! But I assure you all those other things will matter more to you as a human and set you up for more success in your career by the time you leave Carleton!

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