I am graduating with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from a target school (top 5) and am having the amazing opportunity to interview with some companies that I am extremely interested in working for.
I never listed my GPA on my resume because I am afraid of being pigeon-holed without the recruiter giving my previous internship experience and side projects any weight in the decision.
I've never failed a class, but my cumulative GPA is a 3.1 and my major GPA is lower than a 3.0. The worst part is that when viewing my transcript: my grades get worse as time goes along. I feel like to a recruiter this is a red flag and will have my application tossed.
I struggled with some health issues in college, socially isolated myself and didn't build a support network. My grades are a product of that behavior, and I didn't realize for a very long time that I was making my life very difficult by being afraid of my professors and peers around me.
However, I truly enjoy and am passionate about what I have studied here. I can talk in depth about algorithms and data structures and complexity and memory management and C++, etc. I have side projects, and internships where I've received offers and made wonderful connections. I've done well in every technical and character interview I've participated in. I've been invited to several on-site interviews. I feel confident in my field, and not as though I've been slacking for the past three years.
I just know that the question will pop up, and I will be asked to send in my transcript riddled with C's and B's. If I am asked to explain it I run a risk of telling a story about unfinished personal development or making excuses for poor behavior with a 'promise' of doing better in the workplace.
I know that I am capable and knowledgeable and ready to take on challenging work, and I want to be fully prepared to display that to an interviewer. How do I go about this?