Why is good GPA way to PhD?

We all are trying to fit in the system by “trying” to get best ranking, best GPA in school. The second we walk out of University, all people care about is what kind of experience we have. I am in industry for a year and absolutely no one asked me what my GPA was.

Besides my job I am conducting research and decided to start PhD. When it is about school admission, one very important thing is GPA. I have been working on trying to understand this requirement. Just because I can remember bunch of things when my book is closed makes me a great candidate to carry on a 3-4 years of an intense project? My ability to memorize pages of information will help me publish in top journals? My control over 1,5 hours of a well went exam will help me manage my research project time? And last but not least, just because I have or had good GPA will keep me away from PhD depression? Yes, I am asking this questions because I do not have a “good” GPA from my master’s degree and even if I get to a great research university or just a regular one, I will be a researcher for the rest of my life.

There are many successful academics who earned their PhD degrees from “average” universities but had great ideas to change literature in their field. I totally understand that university name is just a title. All you need is a “good” advisor (everyone’s good definition is different) and a “good” project.

With one blog post I can’t change the system, but if I am ever at a position to decide for this, I will only request transcripts to see if they have taken relevant courses to the research project. From my experience in research and industry, I can confidently say that all that matters in you can find a way out from a problem when all the information is open to your access. Only this way intelligence and problem solving skills will grow.