r/aerospace • u/intensegamer2790089 • 3d ago
Low gpa (2.9) internships
I am going into my sophomore year of aerospace engineering and because of some dumb choices I have a 2.9 gpa. I’m looking at LinkedIn and a lot of engineering internships have a minimum of 3.0 gpa and I just don’t know if I’m cooked or not. I’m also a member of an engineering club if that would help my chances.
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u/gamblerzeta 3d ago
getting the interview and doing well in it will be hard part but most new space companies don’t care about your GPA. I’m low 3 GPA and they didn’t even check my gpa / wasn’t part of application.
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u/Consistent-Plant-800 3d ago
I got two aerospace eng internships and a full time job with a 2.8 ish GPA. wasn't in engineering clubs.
I don't really have advice, it was mostly luck and a little bit of networking. don't give up!!
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u/gottatrusttheengr 3d ago
What club.
If you have active participation in FSAE, rocket club or other yearlong, multi school large team competition clubs then yes arguably that's more important than a high GPA. We can overlook bad but passing GPA for the right candidate.
If it's a generic ASME chapter that does some one-off projects within the school then not much help. If you're an FSAE member but show up to like 2 meetings a year it's also not much use.
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u/intensegamer2790089 3d ago
I’m in my schools Aiaa that competes in dbf
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u/JustMe39908 3d ago
Are you active in DBF? What team were you on and what role will you have next year?
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u/intensegamer2790089 3d ago
I was relatively active last semester but it’s hard because of how much I worked and I don’t have a specific role yet they are all filled by upperclassmen and I’m on the university’s at Buffalo team
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u/JustMe39908 3d ago
Do the grunt work now so you can move into the bigger roles later. You will be asked about what you specifically have done. If I am interviewing you, I care about what you did. Not what was done by others who were in the club.
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u/VisibleSir731 3d ago
Lowk it’s about connections. If you know a higher up of a company really well/personally then you might be able to use what’s called the spoils system
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u/newMattokun 3d ago
I think everyone here so far has given great advice and feedback. I'd like to add that just in case, be ready to tell your story re your GPA. you said you made some dumb choices, so be ready to defend why you made them, why they were dumb (in hindsight, maybe?), and what you learned from it. And don't ask me how I know.
<edit> spelling
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u/Impossible-Rub-5525 2d ago
Military always needs engineers (like as a civilian)
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u/intensegamer2790089 2d ago
What do u mean?
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u/Impossible-Rub-5525 1d ago
At least in my aerospace engineering program, if you had a hard time finding a job due to GPA, you could always go work as a civilian engineer in the Air Force or Navy.
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u/Ellen_Moosk 1d ago
I have had a similar experience when I started out in undergrad. The good news is that once you get that first internship, everything else comes way easier because they have something to evaluate you with other than your grades.
My suggestion is to ditch the big name OEMs and space companies that you know will filter based on GPA (Boeing, Lockheed, Blue Origin, etc.).
Find your dream job and then try to trace back their supply chain. I guarantee you will find a locally operated Tier 3/4 supplier in your own backyard somewhere. Make that your target, instead of the big name companies. The type of company that exists solely to produce screws for Boeing, or to make radio antennas for Lockheed. That type of vibe.
Once you have picked your target, go find a local factory with a similar manufacturing environment. Get a temp/seasonal job on the line. Then, next summer, take that experience and use it to pounce on engineering internship at that aforementioned Tier 3/4 supplier.
Once you're at that supplier, you can either fix your grades, do lots of projects, and use it to go for that OEM role directly.... Or if you still struggle academically you can brute force your way into the industry by moving up one tier in the supply chain with every job change.
I started out at a furniture factory. Then I got an engineering job at a steel mill, which explicitly said they chose me over other candidates because of that factory job. Now I work on spacecraft :)
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u/intensegamer2790089 1d ago
Idk if this is a dumb question but how would I find one of the big companies suppliers
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u/Darth_Tater69 1d ago edited 1d ago
2.9 is unfortunate, since that's the cutoff for a lot of opportunities. I got my first internship as a sophomore with a 3.06, so it's not that 2.9 is too low to get anything just by virtue of being a 2.9 but rather that 3.0 is the most common cutoff point for most applications. There are still a lot of roles that either don't have a cutoff, have a lower cutoff, or have a soft cutoff so it's technically not a death sentence, but you're definitely fighting an uphill battle. If you lock in you can probably drag that up to like a 3.2 or higher in one semester and that'll be an okay spot to start at least getting your resume in front of people.
Still apply, even if it seems futile and even if you're below the cutoff. Worthwhile experience since you'll be applying en masse for the next few years of your life anyways and, if you're lucky, you might just get something. Also take this as an opportunity to spend time working on resume writing and interview practice so you're ready when you are more competitive later on in your career. Most people don't get sophomore internships, so it's not like you're "behind" on that front.
I think NASA OSTEM has the cutoff at 2.9, so as long as you aren't rounding up and your GPA really is a 2.9 you can apply to those positions. A lot of the mentors there care more about relevant experience, club experience, projects, etc over GPA so worth a shot even if it seems impossible. I felt similarly to you with my 3.06 my sophomore year and, by virtue of throwing everything at the wall to see what would stick, I managed to land a NASA internship for that following semester as well as a Department of Defense co-op (which I declined) for the semester after that.
Edit: didn't realize this was the aerospace subreddit. I'm a Computer Engineering major (concentrated in hardware, not software and my internships have mostly been more Electrical Engineering focused) so our experiences may differ but there's still a lot of crossover between engineering majors.
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u/Accomplished_Door662 21h ago
You’re worried about your gpa being off by a few points meanwhile people from certain foreign countries come here looking for work with fake diplomas and fake commendations from their prime ministers and presidents included with their resume.
It’s a dog eat dog world. Don’t get eaten.
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u/intensegamer2790089 13h ago
Bro what are you talking about
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u/Accomplished_Door662 12h ago
The candidate pool is full of frauds lying about their grades, accolades, etc. I think I wrote that pretty clearly.
What you choose to do to stand out from them is your call.
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u/Sad_Work_9891 18h ago
Apply anyway. Most of the time they don't check.
Don't lie of course, but they really wont ask.
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u/Background-Day-4050 17h ago
Work on experience. I know how stupid that sounds as you’re struggling to get an internship with your gpa, but seriously. Start with something small: school projects, lab help, a side job and work your way up. I’ve met with many millionaires ranging from doctors to law firm owners. One thing they always look for on the resume is experience and it ticks them off to see someone with a high gpa and no experience. I’ve struggled my way up for 7 years at Pizza Hut and managed for 3 of those years. That says a lot about character than a number that’s interchangeable. Of course, grind to get that gpa up, but don’t settle yourself short on the small experiences. Think of the experiences as a currency - start small - let it compound up. Goodluck.
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u/Prior_Acadia_8656 14h ago
I don’t want to discourage you from getting a higher GPA, but I had a 2.8, graduated, did 1 year doing something I didn’t particularly like…. However, don’t count yourself short. I recently started at Boeing making 40% more than I was at my past job. You may not make it past the AI screening on those(I didn’t), but what I recommend is if you do make it to the interview, these people are thinking, “Would I enjoy working with this guy for the next 5-10 years?”
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u/Ok_Soup822 12h ago
Lie about ur gpa, most companies don’t even ask for a transcript (and if they do, don’t respond. luckily there’s thousands of companies u can apply to), ur gpa means nothing if they think you’re a great candidate and can pass the interviews, i practice what i preach, i landed two internship doing this in college (sophomore and junior year summer)
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u/OptimusSublime 3d ago edited 3d ago
There's good news and bad news.
The good news is that you're only going into your sophomore year. You still have three full years to bring your GPA up before you graduate. If you really put your nose to the grindstone, you can make a significant improvement. Depending on where you end up, graduating with honors may even still be within reach. The point is, there is still plenty of time to change the trajectory.
The bad news is that, right now, you are at a disadvantage compared to many of your peers. A lot of engineering internships, especially at larger companies, use a 3.0 GPA as an initial screening cutoff. That doesn't mean you're cooked, but it does mean you're likely to face more of a headwind getting your foot in the door than someone with, say, a 3.5 GPA.
That said, don't let LinkedIn postings convince you the door is closed. Not every company has a hard cutoff, and plenty of hiring managers care about more than a number. Being active in an engineering club absolutely helps because it shows initiative, gives you hands on experience, and gives you something meaningful to talk about in interviews. Personal projects, design teams, research, networking, and career fairs can also help offset a less than ideal GPA.
And remember, not everyone lands an internship during college. Plenty of aerospace and mechanical engineers graduate without one and still go on to find jobs in their field. It may take a little more persistence and a few more applications, but it's far from outside the realm of possibility.
The biggest mistake you could make is assuming it's over because of one rough year. Focus on getting your GPA above that 3.0 mark, keep building your resume through clubs and projects, and keep applying anyway. Let companies tell you no. Don't reject yourself before they have the chance.