Does how you did in college really matter

[Airway]

I have a student that I was talking to this about, and generally get asked a lot, "why are you going to college?" when someone finds out I want to fly professionally.

Most people I know who went to college and are pilots...either got their degree from U of Phoenix online or went to Embry Riddle extended campus.. And they didn't exactly graduate magne cum laude.

It's just a field where it seems like it's just not important. But, at the same time, I'm again just more curious than anything else.

When you guys interviewed wherever (FedEx, Southwest, UPS, United...) did your performance in college really matter? Or did all they care about was that you graduated and passed all of your classes? I mean, I'm pretty sure if you have a track record of Failing all your classes and retaking most of them, you might have an issue, but generally, does it really matter what grades you got in College? One of my students dropped a few classes and was worried that he's gonna have a problem. As much as I tell him that no airline is really going to look past your logbook and references, In the end of the day, I really don't know.

 

[AAflyer]

Hi,

2 airlines out of 6 asked about them. One was Amerijet, and the other was AA. I was not top of my class, however my average was around 3.0.

My major was international studies, and aviation administration. Both asked about the courses I took. Not sure if I had done poorly if that would have altered their decision. One of the guys in our newhire class was a sharp pilot, but his grades in college were horrible he said. Partying at the frat house.

It may depend on who is interviewing you, I will be curious to see what others say.

AA

Opps almost forgot UND guy. However i had a lot of time and a few rating before UND. I flew on their flying team, however I did not flight train there.

 

[Draginass]

I was never asked about college at all in any airline interview. It was, of course, on the application. What and how you've done recently is a lot more important than having to take freshman chemistry twice.

 

[TZtoSWA]

SWA asks for your transcripts. I did not graduate cum laude but was close and definitely over a 3.0. In today's job market, I would leave nothing to chance.

 

[Occam's Razor]

State school where my major was "graduation".

It was a struggle to keep my GPA above my BAC.

USMC didn't care what my degree was in, or my GPA.

Airline interview(s) only asked about my transcripts once:

Him: "Did you do your best in every class?"
Me: "No, I wish I had, but I honestly didn't."

So...I'm pretty much in charrrrrge of this jet now!

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Just an opinion....

contrary to what you read here, what your degree is in or where you got it means NOTHING....just as long as you can check that box.

Every job I have had wanted that 4 yr degree, but only one ever wanted transcripts - and none asked about GPAs or seemed to care what school I went to - unless they went there too, then it was just conversation.

funny the one that wanted to see transcripts was the lowest paying (regional airline)

Far more important is your experience and your networking / interpersonal skills.

 

[XBOEINGDRVR]

I have been to more than 20 interviews , and I think I was asked 1 time about classes/grades. My belief is that its just a square that must be filled.

 

[canyonblue737]

SWA asks for your transcripts.

Not that I can remember, only a copy of your diploma. I also was not asked about college during any part of my interview at SWA.

 

[RVSM]

Some have asked for transcripts others haven't.
Less so the farther I got away (time wise) from University.
As far as what you study...I find the aviation program grads are sharper on the uptake and already have a good base knowledge. It puts them ahead of the class most of the time. Not bashing on the Liberal Arts degree folks but Aviation is technical and getting more so. IMNSHO You should try to gain as much knowledge in your career field as possible.

 

[washout]

i don't believe doing badly in college will hurt you, but i'd bet doing well can help you.

it has been my experience that no effort towards improving yourself, whether it is in college, the sim, or gound school, is wasted.

good luck!

 

[walden]

I was asked to compare and contrast the socio-economic effects of the Black Plague on European and Asian cultures with liberal media bias on current U.S. politics. I didn't get that job.

 

[Swerpipe]

Diploma or transcript

SWA asks for your transcripts. I did not graduate cum laude but was close and definitely over a 3.0. In today's job market, I would leave nothing to chance.

Southwest asks for transcript or diploma , I gave them the diploma, so they never got to ask me about grades. They also got my high school diploma.

 

[GogglesPisano]

I generally agree with everyone. You need to check the box but I was never asked specifically about college at any of my interviews.

 

[Chest Rockwell]

It fills a square more than anything. If you have a degree, great. It does not matter that much where from or how well you did ( kind of like the type at SWA). What matters is what you have done since you left college or whatever.

 

[AA717driver]

TWA wanted my transcripts. The hired me in spite of my performance in college.

I graduated with a 2.23. The fact that I graduated at all should be an embarassment to Butler University.

You need to be a genius to design planes, not fly them.TC

 

[Mugs]

Why not try and get the most you can out of your 4 years in college? Flying for crud wages when you are single in your twenties requiring only beer money is one thing. Throw in a mortgage / family later later on and reality truly sets in trying to make a living in this financial nightmare of an industry. Open your eyes to other things so that you come to have some idea about other options in life.

 

[NavinRJohnson]

What Grades?

I had a 2.5 something or other, and it didn't inhibit me from getting a job at CAL. One of the most important things you can do is be yourself during the interview and show them you would be an enjoyable person to work with in the cockpit for days at a time. Professionalism, a good attitude, and sound airwork (if you have a sim eval) really are what counts. Perhaps little to no body odor as well, but that's a whole other issue.

My 2 cents...

Navin

 

[Wesb737fo]

I finished with a 2.5 in Mech. Engineering. I only failed one class but no airline has ever asked about my grades. You don't need to be a rocket scientist, but I guess most Airlines like to see a degree.


the Cruise- " I figured I better join the army before I got drafted"
Sgt. Hulka- "Son...there ain't no draft no more."
the Cruise- "There was one?......"

 

[ferlo]

Grades, it turns out, don't mean anything. Thank God.

 

[VVJM265]

yip must be flying, he hasn't jumped in on this yet....

 

[bestpilot]

Duuuudes,


I was like dem ddduuudes in dat Tommy Boy movie. Yeah, bro, I like wuz runnin thru dem hedges wen i wuz like goin to Tulsa and stuff. Freaking wild when like you like trip on like oneadem water sprinkler thingies. Freaking best eight years of my life wuz a college. But now, me an my 1.85 GPA are chillin wit da Tranny.


Awwwwww Yeeeeeaaaah! Like dat Lou Gehrig duude said before he died from dat disease. (Duuude, I can NEVER remember what cat they named dat disease after). Anyways, for me and old Lou, me workin at da Tranny, it's like waht Lou said at ole Babe Ruth stadium.

Toooday, I consider myself self self self

the luckiest man alive live live live

 

[pilotyip]

During my interview at UAL in 1996 the interviewer quizzed on my grades, and asked why I got a D in "Diffy Equations" in the spring of 1963. I told her it was a really hard course to take in the spring. Why UAL would care about a low grade in a class that less than 1% of the pilot population every even attempted is beyond me. Must have been one of those stress things that UAL liked to work in to the interview. Good airlines like SWA, AirTran, and JB do not let the absence of a degree, or if you have a degree, or where it came from, or what your grade point was, or what you majored in, stand in the way of hiring the right pilot. The best way to an airline cockpit is start flying out of high school do your degree on the side combination of community college and on-line course. The airlines as my good friend G200 stated it is just a box to check to make the HR people feel really good about themselves and how selective they are in maintaining high standards at their airline. A college degree has nothing to do with flying an airplane,

 

[bestpilot]

During my interview at UAL in 1996 the interviewer quizzed on my grades, and asked why I got a D in "Diffy Equations" in the spring of 1963.


Good airlines like SWA, AirTran, and JB do not let the absence of a degree, or if you have a degree, or where it came from, or what your grade point was, or what you majored in, stand in the way of hiring the right pilot.

Aww Yeah!!! Win on for the Yipper! Duuude, you are like a REALLY old dude, but you gots mad perspective and stuff like dat. Duuude, waht is Diffy Equations? Dat sounds Diff-E-Cult, or like waaayyy too hard for a History major like me. When ole Tommy Boy said dat Herbie Hancock be signin dat Constitution, I was like pumped, cause like I knew that too, bro!

Duuude, I got like more D's than B's, bro, but I with da Tranny, so it's ALLLLLLL GOOOOOOODDDD!!!!

Duuude, thanks for the mad props for "Good Airlines" like SWA, JB, and Da Freaking Tranny!!!!!!

Out-freaking-standing, my brother from like a Happy Days mother. Duude, sorry about Pat Morita, dude. Did you go to school with him? Freaking Arnold and the Yip, 2 wicked cool cats!

 

[AA717driver]

I'd like to personally thank the Moderators for allowing us the use of the IGNORE feature. Thank you.TC

 

[FN FAL]

It's funny that they would want your transcripts and question you about your college grades, when you're interviewing for a position where "on the job performance" is graded with a "U" or an "S".

 

[800Dog]

I would avoid community college or on-line degrees. Go to the best college you can and make the best grades possible. Your flying career can end in an instant and you will need good grades from a quality institution if you want to get into a good graduate school and start a new career. Also, I would major in something non aviation related. Do not put all your eggs in one basket.

 

[Mugs]

I would avoid community college or on-line degrees. Go to the best college you can and make the best grades possible. Your flying career can end in an instant and you will need good grades from a quality institution if you want to get into a good graduate school and start a new career. Also, I would major in something non aviation related. Do not put all your eggs in one basket.

Well said. How sad that guys spend big bucks at a pretty-boy aviation school only to graduate with a worthless aviation degree and the goal of an 18K a year job. As an Airbus F/O, I see myself as completely replaceable. Why keep a guy like me around that expects enough pay and benefits to support a family when there are plenty of starry-eyed 22 year olds that would sign on to do my job for beer money? This blow off college attitude because "I'm going to fly jets" idea is laughable.

 

[Big Dog]

College...

The farther you get from college the less it matters. I would say it matters for that first job simply because they have no other way to gauge what kind of performance to expect from you, unless you have previous non-college experience of course. From then on, they're probably going to call your last employer and ask if you were a douch bag or a decent guy. What matters is how and what you are doing right now. Fly and be the best you can today, whether it be a C152 pounding the patch with an unteachable student, freight doggin' in the ice or the never to upgrade CRJ F/O. What you are doing TODAY is what matters.
To say it another way, I was around for a quick converstation between 2 management types at my shop. The higher up came in and asked the lower if they remembered so & so, an airline is on the phone doing a background check. They said "yea, he was the shaggy haired kid." Higher asked "what kind of guy was he," and lower said, "pretty decent, but he had a prop strike." Then higher asked "if he gave two weeks notice" And lower said, "he sure did."
In the end they didn't really care he had a prop strike but cared that he gave two weeks notice. It came down to what kind of guy he was and had not much to do with flying, not to mention college.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

College will make you think your smarter than everyone else. On the other hand, flying will also do the same.

 

[ForgedBlade]

Too much eduaction is never bad. I got lucky and have a BS and MS and I would say that they always have helped. If you do not have a degree, trying getting on with, say, Continental now. In most cases, it is hard (although not impossible) to get on with a "major" airline without it. Yes, it is just a box to check, but from an airlines perspective, having the degree shows that you are reasonably intelligent enough to make it through their training program. In this day and age, I sure am glad to have a degree, you just never know about a long airline career any more.