Is Your College GPA Worth a Gamble?

August 18th, 2010

I just got back from a wonderful vacation, and I’ll freely admit that I lost a few bucks in the resort casino. “All in good fun,” I told myself—though I can definitely appreciate the fine line between “fun” and heading off to rehab for a gambling addiction.

That said, I’m on the fence about Ultrinsic, a website that allows college students to gamble on their GPA. College students can create their own monetary incentives by logging on, setting a GPA goal, and then studying hard so that they can cash in at the end of the semester. It sounds cool at first, especially if you’re one to set your sights on a high GPA, but it does make me wonder: Whatever happened to old-fashioned hard work?

Students at Rutgers and Princeton are already using Ultrinsic. Many are intrigued by the idea, especially since they have a lot more control over their grades then, say, blackjack or roulette. But with the crackdown on credit cards for college students, it seems that Ultrinsic could fuel other bad financial habits. Not to mention, of course, that college is a pretty expensive enterprise in itself, and college students aren’t known for rolling in extra pocket money.

What do you think? Is your GPA worth a gamble? Let us know.

–Barbara Bellesi

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Entry Filed under: College Craziness,Just for Fun,News

2 Comments Add your own

1. Rick Phillips | August 18th, 2010 at 1:34 pm

Thanks for posting the article, was certainly a great read!
2. Gina LaGuardia | August 18th, 2010 at 4:51 pm

I’m not really sure HOW I feel about this. On the one hand — hey, if it motivates students to do well, then hmm… maybe. On the other, I wouldn’t want my son or daughter losing his or her money after they miss a few answers and get a B instead of an A. The life lesson here is really pretty poor, too. Money isn’t and *shouldn’t* be the deciding factor in everything. Whatever happened to doing well to feel a sense of productivity and satisfaction?

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