Grade Deflation

Transfer Students
1

<p>Do admin officals take into consideration grade deflation that occur's in various schools? I have an accum of 3.08 (or simply a 3.1) at BU for 2 semesters. Do they also take into consideration the major you are in? I am double majoring in mathamatics and science. I plan on applying to the upper tier schools. i.e. duke, notre dame, Virgina and one undecided ivy. </p>

<p>Some side notes:</p>

<p>Military (or will be next semester irregardless of what school i goto)
3.6 GPA highschool
1260 SAT</p>

2

<p>This issue has been looked at many times. The answer is that schools simply have a hard time quantify gpa's. For example, a school such as Harvard with grade inflation has better students than at BU with grade deflation, thus how can you equate GPA's between these two schools. One prof at a given school thinks that a C is a good grade while another prof at the same school teaching the same class doesn't give below a B.</p>

3

<p>Exactly.. This is how I see this predicament. If a school is known for levels of grade deflation, assuming the admin officers know, can I assume that my EC's, previous HS GPA and essay will have larger weight than, for example, if attempted to transfer out of the University of Washington? I don't think it would be fair to compare the GPA of wake forrest students, which is known for its overzealous grade deflation, to that of a student in a 2 year community college transfering to a 4 year univeristy. This is why I believe this min GPA standard is rubish. </p>

<p>All that I can guess, with relative certainty, is that if I don't apply, the chances for matriculation is 0%</p>

<p>BTW, that GPA reflects only B’s and B+’s, no C’s.</p>

4

<p>So will they take into account grade deflation?</p>

5

<p>Is there a source that lists the grade deflated schools?</p>

6

<p>They might take it into account a bit. However, I don't think you can transfer into any of those schools with a 3.1 unless there is something really extraordinary about you or your ec's.</p>

7

<p>yeah regardless of grade deflation, a 3.1 is way too low for a realistic shot at those schools. BU began deflating grades because it had a rep for inflation. Hopefully the adcoms will realize BU has changed its policies or it could be even more detrimental.</p>

8

<p>mahoot: If your GPA is like that at BU, it would likely be even lower at one of those upper-tier schools. You should put yourself somewhere you'll succeed, I feel. BU isn't a bad school. It still makes you a far better student than the average college student...</p>

9

<p>I see. Pity they would put all that weight on this GPA: I've only been in BU for 2 semesters.</p>

<p>Oh well, I'll apply anyway and give it a shot: there are many personal qualities that I have not mentioned that I believe would give me some leverage that I have not mentioned here.</p>

<p>I will let you all know what occured 3 months down the road.</p>

<p>Thank you for your input.</p>

10

<p>The thing is, those colleges receive enough students with 3.6+ GPAs their freshman year from good schools to fill their transfer spaces a few times over. Once you get out into the real world, competition is much stiffer than in you average hs. That's just life.</p>

11

<p>Harvard DOES NOT HAVE GRADE INFLATION! the students are brilliant! they deserve to get those high grades!</p>

12

<p>WIth the highest respect, grades are supposed to be a relative ranking among classmates at a given school, and are not used as a relative ranking between schools.</p>

13

<p>I second kono</p>

14

<p>I got a 4.00 in community college (4 quarters), and a 3.8 in UC berkeley (1 semester), so the difference between the supposed tough school and community college isn't all that great (although it definitely exists).</p>

<p>I don't mean to show off my grades, but I get really ****ed off at people who think community college is extremely easy.</p>

<p>After all, it all comes down to YOUR COMPETITORS. It's a measurement of each student's ability relative to each other. I found it more diffcult to get A in Berkeley at science classes because your classmates work harder.</p>

<p>While the material may be similar, curve is more unforgiving.</p>

15

<p>Did you go to a good community college though? There are def some good ones, but there are also some that are far inferior to top-tier colleges. A good friend of mine at UChicago graduated from a good CC in Miami. He's finding UChi a lot tougher, but he's making Bs.</p>

16

<p>Sure they are believed to be brillant, however, the scores are commonly B by default.</p>

17

<p>What is your point? I was just saying that UChi is tougher than community colleges, which your statement supports given this was a top community college student making Bs at UChi. You would find UChi much tougher than BU, TRUST me. All those undergrad and grad-school admissions boards aren't complete idiots. The fact that on average better students go to UChi makes a difference, and UChi sends a lot more students to top grad and professional programs, not by coincidence. UChi is known for students who study a lot to the point where they're a little antisocial, in addition to being smart.</p>

18

<p>
[quote]
WIth the highest respect, grades are supposed to be a relative ranking among classmates at a given school, and are not used as a relative ranking between schools.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>It is unfortunate, then, that undergraduate schools do not have the data with which to draw a comparison. </p>

<p>
[quote]
My only point was that community college is often quite easier than top-tier schools, which your statement supports.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Indeed, and yes, schools will make a distinction between a community college student and a student from Duke; they will even allow students from the latter to have a slightly lower GPA. </p>

<p>Universities, when assessing an applicant, attempt also to evaluate whether the applicant is qualified to undertake the coursework at their school; since, say, Harvard University simply has a tougher curriculum than community colleges and lower ranked universities, students from peer institutions with good grades are usually given the benefit of the doubt.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Harvard DOES NOT HAVE GRADE INFLATION!

[/quote]
</p>

<p>...and pigs fly.</p>

<p>
[quote]
the students are brilliant!

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Grade inflation does not imply that the students are not brilliant.</p>

<p>
[quote]
they deserve to get those high grades!

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Nor does it imply that they do not deserve the grades they receive.</p>

<p>I say this many times: grade inflation only gives a student a B or B+, at best. You need to work even harder for the A-, and much harder for the A, and much more harder for the A+, where it is offered.</p>

19

<p>
[quote]
more harder for the A+

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Whoops, sorry for the grammar.</p>

20

<p>I was talking to newbyre, not you...</p>