<p>I was curious to know how competitive within the classrooms are the students taking MIT's classes (in Biology)? Usually how deep does the professor go in terms of course breadth in the sciences? (I saw the MIT open courseware but I would like PERSONAL opinions.) </p>
<p>I am really interested in being a biology major, but I wasn't sure how hard it would be to maintain a high GPA (3.75+) at MIT? </p>
<p>Also, can someone comment about the grade inflation/deflation? Being as a Bio/Biochem major, would some classes be capped for 'A's? Like, if a professor caps out his grade distribution by 15% A+'sA's/A-s, 45% B's, etc. For instance, if you have a 94 average, (but somehow in the top 20%), would you not get an 'A' in that class?</p>
<p>In my experience, there is not a “limit” to the amount of As that can be given out in one class, per se. Professors simply curve test scores (the average of which usually falls below the “obvious A” range, i.e., 85/100 or higher) to create a distribution profile that assigns scores to specific letter grades.</p>
<p>Most Biology courses will tell you that your grade is technically independent of the performance of everyone else in the class because, if everyone were able to achieve greater than 85/100, then everyone would receive an A in the course. As I see it, since only a small fraction of students in any particular class actually has a score of 85/100 or greater by the end of the semester, professors extend the A range to include a particular, reasonable, and not predetermined percentage of students, and then repeat the process to determine B, C, and other grades.</p>
<p>As for the breadth of Biology courses, I think its very wide (and the depth is very deep in classes that probe specific topics in biology). I have always had a strong background in biology, but I have learned an incredible amount from my courses.</p>
<p>Finally, it looks like it’s necessary to point out again that MIT is on a 5.0 scale, so a 3.75 would be below B average. However, getting a 4.75+, though certainly challenging, is far from impossible. I would guess (largely without data to support this hypothesis), that the average GPA of Biology majors is somewhere around 4.5 (compare to the MIT average of 4.1), not least of all due to a pre-med presence, of course.</p>
<p>Thanks! Your post has been really helpful. Do you believe the atmosphere for a premed/bio major of mostly work-work-work (with large amounts of textbook readings) at MIT (as well as the top 10 colleges) due to the intensive breadth of the course?</p>
<p>Well, since I was non-pre-med in Biology, I think I may have taken it easier than most. Meaning, in lecture-style classes without problem sets and (absolutely required) reading, all I might do for a semester is attend class, take notes, review notes before tests, and take said tests. Which is not to say I learned any less in those classes than in those with homework and required reading. And speaking of required reading, the amount of reading is usually manageable unless you fall behind – all classes focus on the content covered in lecture, not in your textbooks.</p>
One thing to realize up front is that at MIT, difficult =/= competitive. MIT is a very collaborative place, and it’s normal to help and be helped on problem sets, labs, and in study sessions. The culture is no different for premeds.</p>
<p>
Biology exams and problem sets at MIT are written to test understanding of concepts and problem-solving ability, not fact regurgitation. Merely chaining oneself to a desk and doing lots of textbook reading isn’t going to prepare you for biology exams at MIT as much as doing practice problems and really understanding the concepts involved.</p>
<p>MIT is hard…but you work together and get through it hahaha
key is working together, and MIT has established various ways to ensure friendly competition but to promote collaboration.
Things like not having class rankings, A=A+=A- etc, all promote collaboration .
Plus, most of the psets arent easy enough for people to do alone</p>
Which is not to say I learned any less in those classes than in those with homework and required reading. And speaking of required reading, the amount of reading is usually manageable unless you fall behind – all classes focus on the content covered in lecture, not in your textbooks.</p>