<p>you know what the average h.s. stats are or can look them up. the average overall GPA in the college is something like a 3.3-3.4, so that should answer your question</p>
<p>rightyho - </p>
<p>First... don't worry about how other folks "got in" - by definition, everyone here is capable of doing the work. With an average SAT of 1400+, there are no "academically average" kids here - even if there were a 1200 for each 1600 who was admitted that low score kid is still well above average (R79/M74/W81 percentiles). </p>
<p>The reason most people who got straight A's in HS don't get them here is not so much the level of competition (which is high, but irrelevant except in the few courses that ration grades) but the level of material and the rate you'll have to learn it. Essentially expect to see things run about twice the rate/depth they did in HS, even for introductory classes. Some are much faster - for example, when I took RELS 101 - "Psychology and Religion", we read 11 books, cover to cover, wrote a 5 page "reaction paper" to each, and wrapped up with a 20 page critical essay on a topic that had been discussed in class (fully footnoted of course). </p>
<p>As you move into more advanced classes, you'll be expected to be gaining control of appropriate bibliographies and to present genuinely creative ideas persuasively rather than repeating memorized facts. For example, in upper level language classes you'll not only be reading sophisticated literature, but also commenting on it, and supporting your arguments with existing scholarship.</p>
<p>also keep in mind that when he says 'the few classes that ration grades' he actually means all of the science and math departments, the engineering school, wharton, and a fair number of the social sciences (though their curves are much nicer)</p>
<p>It is good to be a Classics major!</p>
<p>There is no predictor based on high school record that can easily say who will do well in college. There are people who did only "ok" in HS and are getting 3.8+ cumulative in lots of science/engineering classes, while there are probably valedictorians of competitive HS's with under 3.0.</p>
<p>Idk it depends on what you're good at.</p>
<p>Just to reiterate what was said, it's generally hard to get A's. It's possible, but it will take some effort on your part. And don't rely too much on that math 114 grading information that was posted above. I'm an engineering major and I'm pretty sure the grades in math 114 are distributed differently than the other math classes. Bottom line, talk to your professors frequently and go to office hours. It could be the difference between and B and a B+</p>
<p>actually most of the big math classes, (104, 114, 240, and 241) are graded like that from my experience, as they have a common final between multiple sections. depending on how well a section does on a common final, that more or less determines how many As a class will get. This can be 15% or 35% or whatever. </p>
<p>So it is pretty hard in math classes, but not at all impossible to get an A. I mean, you'll have to study a lot and do many many practice problems, but it's certainly doable. </p>
<p>From what I hear, the science classes are the hardest to get As in with the roughest curves.</p>
<p>in general though, math or science or humanities, if you end up with an A, it's usually because you worked hard at it. Just because you are taking a humanities or social science course does not mean an A will be easy either. In fact it often means there will be more competition, and they do limit As to fight inflation. </p>
<p>My advice: don't take Oceanography.</p>
<p>hahahahaha</p>
<p>the math department's grading policy is ridiculous</p>
<p>rediculous meaning rediculous good or rediculous bad</p>
<p>Ridiculously bad.</p>