Magna Cum Laude?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
1

Is there any way to know where you stand in the class at Brown? It seems like Magna and phi beta kappa is based on percentage of As you get, but how high does that percentage have to be? If 3/4 of your grades are As, is that at least close or really far off? Is it harder for Magna or phi beta kappa?

2

Magna Cum Laude is determined by GPA and each school is different. My D’s school awards Magna Cum Laude to students with 3.6-3.8 and Summa Cum Laude to students with 3.9+. Phi Beta Kappa is a bit different but also considers GPA.

3

That’s the way it works at many schools, but Brown does not calculate GPA. It seems to be based on the percentage of As. Can you have a couple Bs on your transcript and still get magna?

4

Yes, assuming that you remain in in the top 20%, which, as a very quick back-of-the-envelope calculation, would mean that no more than ~20% of your grades as anything other than A or S.

5

Do you mean grades of S or S*?

6

S*

7

S* is not S w/ distinction. S* is a mandatory S/NC course.

Source: https://www.brown.edu/about/administration/registrar/degree-guidelines-0/college#magna

8

There’s an explanation of the calculation of Magna Cum Laude linked below. It is the top 20% of the class, and there is no Summa or Cum Laude distinctions at Brown.

https://www.brown.edu/about/administration/registrar/degree-guidelines-0/college

My DD probably had greater than 80% of her grades as A or S with distinction but did not reach Magna Cum Laude. I assume Phi Beta Kappa is the same calculation, but just the approx top ten percent of the class.

Phi beta kappa is a bit different. Explained here: https://www.brown.edu/academics/college/degree/sites/brown.edu.academics.college.degree/files/uploads/PBK-Election-Procedures.pdf

Generally to be eligible to be elected to phi beta kappa, you need to have 18 out of 20 grades of A or S with distinction as a junior or 23 out of minimum of 28 as a senior. So there is not only a % A criterion, but you also have to take a minimum courseload for grades.

9

It might be that it’s easier to get magna if you don’t take a lot of S/NC classes because not all professors think to give S with distinction unless a student really stands out in the class.