<p>I got into Wake Forest and I'm excited to attend, but I also have a guaranteed transfer deal from Cornell. While I'm not going to Wake with the mindset that I'm definately going to transfer, I do want to keep the option available in case I decide that Wake isn't for me. I'm a little concerned, however, that if I go to Wake it might be very difficult to maintain the GPA (3.3) necessary in the courses required (calculus, physics, psycology) for the guaranteed transfer. </p>
<p>Don't get me wrong, I really like Wake Forest, but I want to make sure I have the option of transferring to Cornell, just in case I don't like Wake Forest (my friends frequently hint that I wouldn't like it). How difficult is it to get A's in those courses? If I work very hard would I be likely to get a high GPA?</p>
<p>to the OP- i am a current Wake student. Considering you have a guaranteed transfer deal from Cornell, then I’d assume you are probably more than capable of attaining a 3.3 in those courses. But it’s going to be exceedingly difficult to get As in everything. I don’t want to discourage you from matriculating, but the grade deflation really does run rampant at Wake and it is something that you need to be mindful of.</p>
<p>Wake professors aren’t just harsh graders; some of them have very different grading scales.</p>
<p>Below I have copy pasted an actual email exchange I had with a professor freshman year regarding my final grade in his class (with my name and course title edited out, of course). While the policy of this particular professor is more extreme than most, it’s a good example of some of the grading practices here. And FYI- this not intro to golf or something- this was an intro level liberal arts (think english/history/political science) class.</p>
<p>Me: </p>
<p>“I am writing to inquire about my grade in the class. I must say I was a little bit disappointed that I only received a B as I see that I earned a 90.7% as my final average for the course”</p>
<p>Professor:</p>
<p>"I’m sorry you feel disgruntled about your grade for X intro class. My
grading scale was on the bottom of the syllabus from the beginning of
the semester. It puts all grades between 86% and 91% as Bs and all 91
percentages (91.0-99-99) as B+s, all 92s (92.0-92.99) as A-s. It
carefully states that “Any fraction below a percentage is not rounded
up to the next level.” It does mean you were very close to a B+ but
not quite according to my scale. I’m sorry but if I were to round up
your grade to a B+ I would be unfair to all those others whose grades
I did not round up, which is why I printed that no percentages are
rounded up on my syllabus. I enjoyed working with you and I’m glad
you enjoyed the class; I am sorry if you do not like my grading scale.
I do this because I all my grades in high school were done with an
even tighter scale:
A=above 95%,
B=87-95%,
C=80-87%, and
D=75-80%
with anything below 75% being an F.</p>
<p>I do hope you continue to do well in other classes and that you
don’t let my grading scale affect your interest in X subject area"</p>
<p>Though I don’t regret my decision in coming here, grade deflation is a reality that every wake student has to deal with. considering that Cornell wants you to transfer there, then I am sure you are very bright. But just bear in mind that hard work at Wake does not always mean you are going to get an A.</p>
<p>if you have any additional questions about wake in general, feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>Hi, @rajashik,</p>
<p>First, I would like to address @Wakestudent11’s post - this student has stated that this is not normal, and I would like to reiterate that. Some Wake professors have grading policies like this (100% accurate) but I have not run into any of them in my four years. Also completely agree with many of this student’s points: hard work does not guarantee you an A at Wake (although, not at Cornell either).</p>
<p>In my opinion, a 3.3 at Wake is very doable. GENERALLY speaking, hard work will pay off. Since the classes are pretty small, if you are putting in the time and effort but are still struggling, the professors will be willing to give you extra help and attention outside of class, etc. The thing is, everyone is different, and a 3.3 may be doable will very little effort from some students and a 3.3 may be difficult to achieve for others. Seeing as you have some sort of transfer opportunity from Cornell, I would assume that a 3.3 would be doable for you, but this is just my opinion based on your post. </p>
<p>Good luck with everything!</p>