Colleges That Don't Give Grades

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I would like to attend a school based on a pass-fail curriculum or based on evaluations. There is a college near me called New College of Florida that doesn't give ANY grades. Instead, instructors give evaluations and students write a lengthy thesis based on their area of study. I'm looking into this school, but I'd like to keep my options open, as they aren't known for their biology program. They offer biochemistry, but not my other major of interest (nanotechnology). Here is a question I asked a while ago based on what I want to do in life: </p>

<p>Which</a> fields incorporate the following technologies?</p>

<p>Also, are there schools that let you design your ENTIRE curriculum? Many schools have a credit limit per semester. I'm 17 and I'll be a freshman in college in spring 2014. If I take the maximum summer credit my school offers in addition to fall and spring, I can have my bachelor's degree by the summer of 2015. Unfortunately, my view on older people getting an education is poor, and it's irreparable. I don't want to be twenty years old and JUST getting my bachelor's, since my goal is to be established by 23. I'd like to be younger, as my overall view of myself as a human will decrease if I'm 20-21 and just getting finished. Are there any schools that don't have a credit limit, or have a very high credit limit? I'm very driven and getting worn out won't be an issue with me. Location isn't a factor, nor is tuition or whether or not it's public or private.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Brown University.</p>

3

<p>Hampshire College maybe</p>

4

<p>Reed doesn’t give grades unless you ask for them.</p>

5

<p>Bard gives grades but you also get an indepth evaluation written by the teacher about your performance.</p>

6

<p>For years and years UC Santa Cruz gave “evaluations” instead of grades. But eventually they broke down and started giving grades, largely because their graduates often had difficulty getting admitted to selective graduate and professional schools. The grad admissions committees were often looking for a certain minimal GPA, and it was hard for them to say whether UCSC graduates had achieved it.</p>

7

<p>Brown lets you design your own curriculum, but they do give grades. You get to pick whether your grades are pass/fail (which they call satisfactory/no credit) or letter grade. The good news about letter grades at Brown is that 2/3 of them are A’s: <a href=“http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-37243170/grade-inflation-colleges-with-the-easiest-and-hardest-grades/[/url]”>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-37243170/grade-inflation-colleges-with-the-easiest-and-hardest-grades/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

8

<p>Evergreen State has a completely [open</a> curriculum<a href=“BA%20degree”>/url</a>, [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.evergreen.edu/evaluations/]narrative”&gt;Narrative Evaluations | The Evergreen State College]narrative</a> evaluations](<a href=“http://www.evergreen.edu/advising/degrees.htm]open”>Degree Requirements | The Evergreen State College) instead of grades, and a [maximum</a> of 20 credit units per quarter](<a href=“http://www.evergreen.edu/registration/twentycreditpolicy.htm]maximum”>http://www.evergreen.edu/registration/twentycreditpolicy.htm).</p>

<p>However, while it has a fair number of biology offerings, its chemistry offerings are limited, and there do not appear to be any nanotechnology related course offerings. See the [catalog[/url</a>].</p>

<p>Out of state list price is [url=&lt;a href=“Your Way In | The Evergreen State College”&gt;Your Way In | The Evergreen State College]$32,226</a> for 2012-2013](<a href=“http://www.evergreen.edu/catalog/2012-13/index]catalog[/url”>http://www.evergreen.edu/catalog/2012-13/index).</p>

9

<p>Coureur, I often wondered how grad school admission offices would use expository evaluations vs. grades. That would make it even more subjective.</p>

10

<p>From my understanding, New College pretty much lets you design your own curriculum.</p>