<p>I found that the assertion of grade deflation was partly true, or in the very least that there are minimal occurrences of the opposite, grade inflation.</p>
<p>Davidson’s workload was rather massive. Not undoable, but pretty intense. Most people take four classes (which is all you need to graduate in eight semesters), but a crazy few take five (myself included on a few occasions). </p>
<p>I was mostly a humes/social science person, so I often had hundreds of pages of reading each week. At a certain point, I realized that my success in these kinds of courses was conditional on finding a way to manage the reading, because I am a very slow, distracted reader, and there’s no way I could have read it all. My freshman roommate called this management approach “reading smart.” </p>
<p>In English literature survey classes, it’s pretty hard to get out of the readings, because your tests will focus specifically on the content of the readings (short stories, novels, poetry, etc.). The same probably applies to history, because you will be tested on your analysis of what happened…if you don’t have the content of “what happened” down pat, you’re probably going to struggle. However, in a political science class in which you are studying the structure of the British government, you can do a preliminary scan of all of your readings, identify repetitive material from the get go, as well as material that you’re already familiar with, and then read selectively to get the new material you’ll need to master for tests, which gives you the substance without the redundancy. Consider this process as eating your meal, but skipping seconds. I found this strategy worked well in several reading-intensive courses, including philosophy, religion, and social sciences. I made an A- in a religious course for which I literally did the full reading twice all semester. On the other hand, in my US history course, I really struggled for my B+ because the professor expected a strict retention of detail from the readings. Annotating, making notes, and constructing outlines were also helpful for reading management, especially when it came time to write a paper or study for a test.</p>
<p>Another way to manage your workload is to balance it. If you take four reading intensive courses, you’re going to have a lot to manage. If, on the other hand, you take two reading intensive courses, one foreign language course, and one math class, your work will be more diverse, which will help keep you interested, and you won’t be overwhelmed by too much of one thing or another.</p>
<p>As an alumna looking back over my coursework, I can say that I really did work hard in the classes in which I earned an A or A-. In the classes where I earned a B, I can honestly say I put in a lukewarm effort–I always showed up to class, but I skipped some of the readings altogether, I didn’t necessarily participate much, and I didn’t make a concerted effort on the homework or try to really understand the material. Nevertheless, my effort was sufficient for a B, and I would make the argument that giving a bare minimum effort usually is enough for a B or at least a C, as long as you have an okay grasp of the material.</p>
<p>I would venture that most Davidson students would argue that it’s about as hard to make an F in a course as it is to make an A, if not harder. To fail a Davidson course, you have to make almost no effort at all, you have to have no understanding of the material, and you have to skip class all the time (Davidson is one of those schools with attendance requirements–no matter your performance on the material, if you skip class a lot that could still be grounds for failing).</p>
<p>As someone applying to professional programs right now, I am honestly a little nervous about what impact my 3.5 will have on my chances. My top choices have midranges starting in the high 3.6s and low 3.7s. At Davidson, having a 3.5 usually meant you were in approximately the top-25% of your class, which at other schools might be a much higher threshold. I’m reassured by Davidson’s reputation, but you raise a valid point that west coast schools might be less familiar with Davidson. </p>
<p>Honestly, though, I think if you feel strongly that Davidson is a match for you, you should go for Davidson and think strategically about your course-load each semester. Challenge yourself within areas that are traditionally strong for you (if you’re a history person, don’t take all intro courses), but don’t put yourself through the headache of course material that will be far above your ability (eg. taking a premed Bio course if you made a 3 or less on the AP Bio exam and have a history of being bad at science). Plan on balancing coursework with social life and taking care of personal needs, and realize that, though the adjustment to college might interfere with that at first, it is possible. I know plenty of people who were heavily engaged in extra curricular activities, Greek life, sports, and community service, that still managed to graduate in the top of their class. In fact, when I read the announcement about students inducted into Phi Beta Kappa (top 12.5% of class with 3.6 or higher), I recognized almost every single name on the list because those students were not only academically successful and known for being hard-working, but they were also leaders of campus organizations.</p>
<p>I realize that this is a really long and sometimes indirect answer to your question, but I would say the bottom line is that there is not necessarily grade deflation, but you definitely have to work for an A. The vast majority of professors are not stingy with high grades on principle – they are stingy with high grades because they want to reward students proportionally to their effort.</p>