tricky - you need to manage the risk.
How BCG typically looks at this:
- CV screening is often automated or semi-automated, and cumulative GPA does matter, especially for internships.
- A 3.25 cumulative is below the typical MBB average, so yes, there is a real risk of being filtered out if nothing else stands out.
- That said, a 3.93 most recent full year is a strong signal and shows a clear upward trajectory, which BCG does value once a human looks at the CV.
What actually makes the difference:
- How you present it on the CV. You should list both and make the trend explicit (e.g., “GPA: 3.25 cumulative; 3.93 in most recent year”).
- Referral matters a lot here. With a referral, your CV is almost certainly reviewed manually, and the upward trend helps you.
- Other strength signals (top school, strong internships, leadership, test scores) become more important to offset the cumulative GPA.
Middle East nuance:
- ME offices are competitive but pragmatic. They care more about trajectory and raw ability than perfect early grades, especially if the improvement is recent and sustained.
- For Visiting Associate / internship roles, the bar is still high, but strong momentum + referral = real shot.
Bottom line:
- Without a referral: moderate risk of auto-filter.
- With a referral and clear GPA trend: absolutely viable.
If you want, I can also suggest how to phrase this cleanly on your CV so it doesn’t look defensive. ping me
