<p>However, one thing is holding me back (and many other people as well)</p>
<p>Here is the thing…I really want to go to Dental school, and I really like BU, but I keep hearing about grade deflation and all this stuff! It has me worried as hell, and I’m not sure if I want to take the risk!!!</p>
<p>Can anyone give me any advice? I am a hard worker, but considering that I need a good GPA for Dental School, going to BU and hearing about this grade deflation scares the hell out of me!</p>
<p>btw did u know that there's a 7 year dental program? you should look into it if u have good grades. u get accepted to BU's dental school immediately and do 3 years of undergrad before entering.</p>
<p>Oh for goodness sakes... Just work hard and try to learn what you're being taught. Good grades will usually be the result. 99.9% of institutions of higher learning work this way. BU is no different. If you are that worried about grades vs learning, then I for one don't want you to be my dentist.</p>
<p>jjsmom, I know I will have to work hard wherever I go. That is not the concern for me, as I have worked hard my whole life. However, 99.9% of higher learning actually does NOT work this way...A lot of top schools don't have grade deflation, and as a result a lot of their students graduate with very high GPAs. Would you rather accept someone from Harvard with a higher GPA or someone from BU with a lower GPA?</p>
<p>You're comparing Harvard and BU? Think about what you're saying in that sentence. Then look at the one before it; Harvard has such high grade inflation the average is over 3.7. They rely on their name identification, but I wonder how long that will last when showing up gives you an A. BU's grades are normal, not ridiculous.</p>
<p>But that's my point Lergnom...Isn't it a legitimate concern? Those students from the grade inflated Harvard are the students competing with you for the few positions there are in Medical and Dental schools across the country! </p>
<p>However, thank you for answering my question. I was probably more worried from reading posts around CC. As long as I know that BU's grades are normal, and not absolutely ridiculous deflated "impossible to get an A, B, so you better be happy with a C" grades, I look forward to applying there and possibly attending, because I love so much about the school!</p>
<p>High school student, right? Do you really think a major university could lower grades and be competitive? You think that all these thousands of kids have been going to BU for years now and not getting into medical or law or graduate school? Does that make any sense at all when you think about it? </p>
<p>And try searching for how grad schools aren't so stupid that they don't know which schools inflate grades.</p>
<p>I went to an Ivy school years ago, did law school admissions, etc. </p>
<p>I don't know how well the search function works but this topic has been beaten to death. Some schools are spread around as having this issue and it's just not real. Yes, some schools have bigtime grade inflation but the idea that going to one gives you a leg up is silly. Don't compare Harvard because they have been able to put themselves in a separate class - though grade inflation will over time cheapen their brand, the same as any inflation.</p>
<p>DS graduated from BU. He said that he had to work for his grades but never felt that any grade he received was unfair in any way. The professors are very candid about the course requirements and expectations. If you are able to meet a certain standard, you will get A's. If not, you won't.</p>
<p>i'm halfway thru my sophomore year at smg and i have yet to experience this "grade deflation" - bu is trying its best to get rid of it, if the class average is < 80%, the professors usually curve so the mean is an 80, which means everyone rises. the average in most classes here is probably around a B range, which i'm assuming is pretty normal for most schools. </p>
<p>imo (this is my personal opinion/scale haha), </p>
<p>it's not easy / it is difficult to get EXCELLENT grades (3.7-4.0). it's decently doable if you work hard, have a BRAIN, and go to class to get PRETTY GOOD grades (3.3-3.6). you can probably get DECENT/GOOD grades if you study a few times a week, read the assignments, goto most of your classes (3.0-3.2), and its pretty hard to get <2.3-2.5 unless you really don't try or are struggling alot...</p>
<p>BU (SMG) in particular is fighting hard to break down old grade deflation policies. While it is still hard to get an A in some classes, the average GPA is continuing to rise each semester. I don't have much to compare it to because I came from a school with virtually no workload. To put it simply, I think if you want to challenge yourself and be proud of the grades you earn- BU is right for you.</p>
<p>The science courses are BU are very difficult, and the averages tend to be on the low side. But it is definitely possible to get an A; it just involves ALOT of work. If you expect to be pre-dental and do well, then you really don't fall into the same category as any other student apart from possibly Engineering majors.</p>
<p>Each class is different. Some classes will say they are only going to give out a certain amount of A's but i agree with whoever said that most professors grade on a "gentleman's curve" which is to a B. I am a first semester freshman and I would say that it's not hard to get decent grades. And don't worry, when you apply to professional schools after undergrad, the GPA's are much lower than the GPAs you see when applying to undergrad</p>
<p>not necessarily true. BU undergrad is CONSIDERABLY EASIER than getting into BU's Law school. In addition, BU's graduate schools are much better and also more highly ranked (ranking is not my only criteria for how good a school is). Also it is much much harder to do well at BU than almost any high school.</p>
<p>I think what orangecountygirl means is that getting a B in college is not the same as getting a B in high school. What with weighted grades and all, it's much easier to pull a 4.0 in high school than it is in college. So when people apply to grad school, the GPAs are a little lower.</p>