<p>In a recent thread people were talking about how the average GPA at: Stanford is 3.4
Berkeley is 3.0-3.2
Does anyone know where these numbers were found?
I'm planning on graduate school and would like to know my chances at maintaining a decent GPA.</p>
<p>lol no way avg gpa for cal is 3.0-3.2 or stanford. Those schools are too competitive to be that low.</p>
<p>the fact that theyre so competitve might contribute to the low GPA and a 3.4 isn't bad at all for an average.</p>
<p>dont focus on gpa, meet professors, get involved, do reseach.</p>
<p>its not hs where you have to create the illusion of future ability by getting good grades and doing clubs. You could acually accomplish something, or hang around with someone who does, that is important and relevent for your field of intrest. Also, I think grad school is more like the job market, recs are the most important.</p>
<p>tifania, it depends on your major....but 3.0-3.2 no way....itz should be around 3.8 or something...</p>
<p>_42,</p>
<p>That is not the best advice; having a GPA below 3.5 could render one ineligible for plenty of Law Schools, for example.</p>
<p>Yep i think it depends on major. I'm a little worried going to such a competitive school (Cal) would set me back when I apply for grad school. For instance, someone with a 4.0 from a Cal State would be accepted over a Berkeley grad with a 3.5 (assuming their test scores are the same). Competition will make you stronger in the end, but it might hinder your chances of getting into a good law or medical school.</p>
<p>tifania, i agree</p>
<p>Im not saying you shouldnt care at all about gpa, clearly if some school you want to go to has a cutoff you should care. I made the assumption it was in some field that you could do reasearch in, law school you cant so my comments dont apply at all.</p>
<p>But if one is going to a great school like stanford or ucb I think your focus should be on research because you could go really far. Grad schools (once again im talking about direct research fields, not medicine or law) go for people who they think will do great work, that is how the university advances itself, they couldnt care less how well you do in the classes grad students take (those I have talked with say that a B is the failing grad for their grad courses). Of course it is best to be good at both but research experience is a proven track record whereas grades are indications.</p>
<p>Tiffania, you're wrong. A 4.0 from chico state is nothing compared to a 3.5 from Cal and grad schools know that.</p>
<p>Many schools use a formula (college gpa + test scores) which don't take into account which school you went to.</p>
<p>So by that logic a 3.7 from Harvard would get beat out by a 3.8 from Chico State? (all other factors being the same)</p>
<p>I agree with Gentleman. If people make the argument that the caliber/difficulty of a transfer applicants current college plays a role on their admission decision, then I feel that the same considerations would be made for a graduate school acceptance. Clearly a Harvard graduate with a 3.5 will have an advantage over someone who graduates with a 3.8 from Lackawanna college.</p>
<p>Grad schools compare GPAs within a college moreso than GPAs between colleges. You compete more with those from ur college rather than with those from others, GPA-wise. This allows certain schools to not be disadvantaged compared to grade-inflated schools such as Harvard (although I don't believe grade inflation at Harvard is due to lack of rigorous grading but rather the intelligence of its students).</p>
<p>niwa -- Berkeley is way harder than Stanford. Stanford may be hard too but there is tons of grade inflation</p>
<p>i am a stanford undergraduate. i’m an engineering major; computer science.</p>
<p>it’s extremely difficult. there is no grade inflation. it’s very competitive because you are competing with all the valedictorians and math olympiads and cs geniuses. it’s total ******** that stanford isn’t hard.</p>
<p>i’m alsocurious to know what they make of a slightly lower gpa from stanford in comparison to…other schools</p>
<p>Seriously, if the average GPA is near 3.0 when the school is filled with kids who would kill some one for an A… its not going to be easy. </p>
<p>There are a few sites that tell you the average GPA at major schools. Take into account what kind of students go to those schools and you might be able to get a decent idea of how hard it is to ‘get’ that GPA.</p>
<p>Note: this is a 4 year old thread.</p>
To Niwatori and anyone who argues that a low average GPA is not plausible at a competitive school: it is actually more plausible.
With all due respect, my guess is that you did not attend one. The fact of the matter is that, the level of difficulty is what drives down the average GPA. It also greatly depends on what the student is studying. I graduated from UCLA, and classes in certain departments were much easier than others; and the ones that negatively affected my overall GPA the most were the ones that were extremely competitve! I bareelyy squeezed by with a 3.0.
I could have done better, to be fair, but all in all… Do not associate a low GPA with a lack of compeitition and difficulty because it is just not true. It seems intuitive to think this way, but when you actually delve into it (or go to a school of this caliber), this automatic response is counter-intuitive.
^you just responded to a 6-year old thread…