<p>as in I won't get in; what was I thinking?</p>
<p>Apparently the "this is Princeton" argument is used for everything here. I was talking to my Spanish teacher and she said I had one of the highest scores on the exams and that I was doing, in her words, "very very well," but that "this is Princeton." So, if I get a B, it's not because I'm not doing work that's worse than that of my classmates or I'm not doing well in general, but because "this is Princeton." Keep that in mind.</p>
<p>My prof in a seminar gave me a B+ for my 97 average because "this is Princeton"</p>
<p>I honestly cannot see how that is fair in any way. </p>
<p>What seminar and professor was it?</p>
<p>was that a writing seminar?</p>
<p>Wow, scary.... So the grade deflation statements are not just rumors?</p>
<p>"My prof in a seminar gave me a B+ for my 97 average because "this is Princeton""</p>
<p>lol. I don't believe you for a second. Please stop with the hyperboles.</p>
<p>Princeton alum and parent here-<br>
Please, please don't overworry about grade deflation at Princeton. It is not as bad as you think. I recently received a wonderful explanation of the policy from Princeton- it is also available on their website. And I have discussed it with my D, who is a freshman there. The policy seeks to ensure accuracy in grading- so that not everyone who goes through Princeton will be getting easy A's, just because it's Princeton. </p>
<p>That being said- it seems that the "hardest" grading is done in the large and/or intro type courses, where you may have 200+ people in the course. The tests are tough, designed to determine the real difference, let's say, between a B+ and a A-, etc. This is particularly true in the math and science areas, but also the case in the humanities. </p>
<p>I have no problem with this policy, even though it may mean that grades won't be the straight A's we've all become accustomed to from high school. Excellence demands appropriate measurement- otherwise the education is not doing what it is supposed to- that is, challenging the student to grow. </p>
<p>Regarding concerns about grading policy impact on grad/prof school admission or job prospects- Princeton has been relentless in letting the schools and employers know of the policy so that they can understand that a less than straight A record out of Princeton is more an indicator of the rigor of Princeton courses than of a student's "slacking off", etc. </p>
<p>So, please relax about it. Princeton is demanding, of course. That is one reason why people want to go there. If a student is accepted there, they will do well with effort. </p>
<p>P.S. As an alum (class of '77), I can report that after college, NO ONE ever asked me my GPA coming out of Princeton. Go there to learn, not obsess about grades, please.</p>
<p>i have a good friend who got a B in a math class at wharton with a 98 average. 25% of his class didn't miss a single question at any point in the semester. ROFL!</p>
<p>Yes, Princeton is demanding. But if the whole idea is to grade relative to others, why should I get a B if I'm doing better than the majority of the class?</p>
<p>And it's hard not to "obsess" about grades when one of the first things that graduate schools and employers look at is GPA.</p>
<p>A B is a fine grade. It means you are doing better than most of the class. </p>
<p>And I agree, and know from personal experience, that it is very hard not to obsess. (Major big league obsesser here, my whole life) I was trying to impart some wisdom gained through the years, however. Despite all my obsession with grades as a Princeton student I found that after the first job, and later, after the acceptance to grad school, that NO ONE really cares what my GPA was. I over worried to no good end. My considerably less than straight A average out of Princeton still got me some fine jobs and a fine grad school acceptance. </p>
<p>Further- a B out of Princeton is recognized quite highly in the grad school and employment market, particularly with the explanation Princeton sends along with the transcript.</p>
<p>Hmmm. Do you think I would have any chance to get into an Ivy League medical school with a GPA around 3.3? I'm worried that a low GPA will reduce my chances of getting into a good medical school because of the stiff competition. Would a school prefer a RU grad with a 4.0 or a Princeton grad with a 3.3? I know that Princeton sends out a note with transcripts that explains the grading policies, but what do you think schools will prefer? Any opinions would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Hmmm. I don't know much about med school admissions. Or about the diversity an Ivy League med school might be looking to create. My guess is that a med school, like any other school, would want to create a diverse class- ie. not all Ivy undergrads. </p>
<p>I do think, however, that the 3.3 Princeton GPA would stand up nicely to an RU (I assume Rutgers) 4.0. The Ivy League knows the rigor of the Ivy League better than anyone else.</p>
<p>Don't confuse grade deflation with "scaling down." Scaling down is what happens when everyone in a class does so well that an objectively good score might not actually lead to a good grade. </p>
<p>Grade deflation is real, but I think its effects have been greatly exaggerated, partially by professors who use it as an excuse - its a great way of deflecting student anger at the administration. I certainly haven't noticed its effects (Sr. English major here, by the way). I've been in small seminars where I'm fairly sure almost the entire class got As, and deservedly so. The classes that tend to be more affected by it are the big freshman courses, but even so it isn't a dramatic difference - a certain number of people who might have gotten A-s will get B+s. It is a guideline, not a rule anyway. so in theory no one shouldn't get a grade he doesn't deserve. </p>
<p>Can't speak to med school admission, although from what I hear Princeton students haven't been doing any worse since deflation. That being said, my suspicion is that a 4.0 from RU would be better than a 3.3 from Princeton. But its silly to choose a school on that basis. Choose for the experience you want, and trust yourself to do well. After all, I also suspect that someone with a 3.3 at Princeton wouldn't have a 4.0 at Rutgers either - he'd do better, sure, but not a 4.0.</p>
<p>getting a 4.0 at Rutgers is incredibly difficult. The Ivy League is great, but doing well at a big, ambitious university like Rutgers is a very significant accomplishment.</p>
<p>Along the lines of grading policies... I'm just wondering about what the atmosphere there is like, for anyone who goes/went there. Very cutthroat competitive or are people generally more collaborative and willing to help?</p>
<p>Not cutthroat at all. Very collaborative. You are highly encourage to work together, for example, on problem sets.</p>
<p>It is probably less cutthroat than many of the incoming students' high schools, at any rate. I don't know as much about the culture in the sciences, but I've been surprised at how little overt competition there is. Really, we don't talk about grades except in the most general sense - I might know if a friend is having a hard time in a class, but usually not whether a friend got a B + or an A. I certainly don't know anyone's GPA. I've had friends look over papers, had review sessions with classmates, and shared information about relevant scholarships and programs with others with the same interests, even though we're theoretically direct competitors. Again, I'm a humanities person, but math and science people seem to be having problem sessions and formal or informal peer tutoring all the time, so I wouldn't worry.</p>