<p>Some of the students on the cornell board were talking about their GPA's being over 4.0 and it started me thinking how grading like this can benefit students who go to schools with extra credit for A+'s. </p>
<p>I know that GPA is a huge factor when talking about grad school acceptance, some having distinct cut offs. I also know that in industry some companies pay higher starting salaries depending on GPA cut offs and since many raises are percentages this can add up over time.</p>
<p>So maybe in the search for colleges this should be a consideration. Especially when the grades are reported as being on a 4.0 scale ( which is impossible...but hey, why split hairs?).</p>
<p>I was very surprised when I saw the postings about gpa's being over 4.0. None of my 3 kids had schools that used A+. Sax, I hadn't thought of your question---how is that accounted for when it is reported on a 4.0 scale--do the grad schools recalculate and just take off the extra points?</p>
<p>That really surprises me. At many schools no one has ever graduated with a 4.0, let alone higher than that. My school doesn't have A+s, but I doubt they would be given out regularly if they did exist. I don't think this should be something to look for in the college search, just like I don't believe students should be searching to apply to schools with the most grade inflation or the easiest classes.</p>
<p>Well, it all depends on what your goals are. If med school A throws out any application under a 3.5 then, hey, go pick up that **** 101 class and your easy A+. </p>
<p>I noticed on the Michigan board that the business school gives out A+'s but not engineering. </p>
<p>Who knows if they recalculate? Who knows if they even notice? Who knows which colleges do this and which don't? But it is an interesting thought.</p>
<p>This is from CALS but a few searches I did suggest that the A+ is for Engineering also, and maybe all other parts of Cornell . (They speak of Honors for GPA's greater than or equal to 4.0). </p>
<p>"cum laude, 3.50 or above
magna cum laude , 3.75 or above
summa cum laude , 4.00 or above "</p>
<p>OTOH, I am sure that med, law, and grad schools are aware of this peculiarity. </p>
<p>Does anyone know of other colleges and uni's that use an A+ and consider it as above a 4.0?</p>
<p>As I was fumbling around the Cornell search function I saw an Ask Uncle Ezra page where Uncle allowed as how 81% graduate with zero honors, and I believe 8% cum laude, 7% magna cum laude, and 4% summa cum laude.</p>
<p>It seems that the different schools do things differently at Cornell. It may be that engineering has a different threshhold for "Latin Honors". It's too confusing (and I don't care enough to research the differences.;))</p>
<p>Cur.. thanks for posting the Cornell grades. It makes me smile when I read comments from people saying that grad schools give more creedance to a 3.5 at an ivy than a 3.5 at another school. Not really jumping on Cornell here...just in general. The whole grading thing is still pretty subjective, and to me counterproductive at times, but it really ends up being very,very important.
And don't even get me started on grade grubbing. :)</p>
<p>My son has made 2 A+'s in his three semesters at Duke, one of them not surprisingly being in a class on HIV. Duke does not, however, give extra weighting for the A+. The semesters in which he got one A+ and the rest A's were awarded a 4.0.</p>
<p>sax, thanks! In the case of the HIV class, I know that he asked a good many questions in there, many of which the instructor had to go and look up! <em>lol</em> He'd been reading on the subject for 10 years, so not too surprising. The other A+ was this last semester in biologically-oriented psych class. He was <em>really</em> interested in the psychobiology of addiction and did some wonderful papers on that subject.</p>
<p>I think Duke has the right approach, recognizing truely outstanding academic work with the A+ grade but holding the line on the 4.0 gpa standard.</p>
<p>Our son attends Rensselaer and they have an unusual grading system. Level 100 and 200 courses are graded on a +/- scale up to A(ie no A+'s). But 300 level courses and above are graded on the A,B,C,D,F system. I am not sure I understand the rationale for that but its different! ;-)</p>
<p>I think my D got an A+ in something last year at Rice, but I don't remember what it was. I just remember her laughing that her GPA for the semester was actually over 4.0. I don't know about A+s in college- seems sort of like junior high.</p>
<p>S taking a course with the same name an similar requirements as a friend at another usnwr top 10 university earned a % the same as the friend. Fewer, had this high a % in S's course than in friend's course. S received a B+ (and written accolades from the prof), friend an A+ (though whether or not this counted more than 4.0 is unknown). Grading varies greatly from school to school. If the A+ trend continues, GPA will begin to matter less and strength of curriculum and campus grading culture will matter more.</p>
<p>In law school when the prof's posted grades (on the wall, no internet in the Middle Ages) they would circle the "high" A (if there were any A's). I always thought that was pretty cool (not that I was in any danger of getting such a grade ). Nobody made a big deal about it and it was only shared around the school but .... the high A is something we still talk about when we get together.</p>
<p>We have As with Distinction (at Brown), but they don't count for anything at all. They don't even go on your external transcript. They're kind of like an official pat on the back. We also have S with Distinction (when you take a class S/NC) and thsoe count for magna cum laude or Phi Beta Kappa.</p>