<p>One thing I dont understand about the grading policy.
The 2nd semester is graded, from what I've heard, on an A/B/C/NR system.
Does that mean, if you're averaging around a C, you should bomb the final in order to take advantage of the NR and not devastate your GPA? That doesnt make too much sense (doo badly to help ur situation). </p>
<p>Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Well, more commonly, you'd drop a class in which you're doing poorly -- Drop Date is 2-3 weeks before finals every semester, so if you're doing badly enough that you might fail, you'd just drop the class and take it the next semester.</p>
<p>But the strategy you're talking about is also possible. Of course, some people would stick it out and get the C (or B -- sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised by grades) just to avoid having to take the class in a subsequent semester.</p>
<p>EDIT: I might also add that one C is not the end of the world for anyone and would not do any real GPA devastation.</p>
<p>"I might also add that one C is not the end of the world for anyone and would not do any real GPA devastation."</p>
<p>But in the first semester counted in your GPA, you wouldn't want your GPA around .5 points from where it should/could be because of just one class. That means you will be required to work extra hard to improve your GPA to where it should be, as opposed to not getting the C and just having to maintain a good GPA.
In my opinion, at least, there is a big difference between the two. </p>
<p>I didn't know you can drop a class that late. In the college I take classes in now, you only have until midterm time or so to drop classes (officially, of course).</p>
<p>Well, I'm just speaking as someone who did get a C in the second term of my freshman year. It didn't end up mattering for me whatsoever -- nobody ever asked for my GPA until I was applying for graduate school, by which time I had it up to a reasonably respectable number.</p>
<p>I might just add that Molliebat is @ Harvard for her PhD if I'm not mistaken =)</p>
<p>Yes, Mollie is at Harvard in the PhD program. </p>
<p>GPA is important to be sure. Speaking as a parent and a college graduate from the 70's I can tell you with certainty that experience also helps a great deal. When you graduate prospective employers will be looking at both your GPA and your work experience. So I guess what I am saying is study hard, study smart, and take advantage of internship opportunities, volunteer opportunities in your field of interest as they come along.</p>
<p>I got TWO Cs second semester freshman year (the horror!) and now (end of my sophomore year) I've got about a B- average. I'm cool with that. </p>
<p>I mean honestly, I don't think your GPA is terribly important- chances are no one's going to ask for it until after you graduate, and then you'll have had plenty of time to make up for however many Cs you got freshman year.</p>
<p>
[quote]
One thing I dont understand about the grading policy.
The 2nd semester is graded, from what I've heard, on an A/B/C/NR system.
Does that mean, if you're averaging around a C, you should bomb the final in order to take advantage of the NR and not devastate your GPA? That doesnt make too much sense (doo badly to help ur situation).
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, you should keep in mind that you still get grades, it's just that they're not recorded on your external transcript. But they're still on your * internal * transcript, and thus potentially viable if you want to go back to MIT for graduate school (and MIT is by far the most popular choice for graduate school for MIT undergrads). Granted, I don't think the MIT graduate programs are supposed to take notice of your 'hidden grades', but the fact is, they still might. Hence, by bombing your grades to get an NR, you are potentially hurting your chances of getting back into MIT for grad school. </p>
<p>That's why I think molliebatmit's proposed strategy is far safer - if you're doing poorly, just drop the class.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Granted, I don't think the MIT graduate programs are supposed to take notice of your 'hidden grades', but the fact is, they still might.
[/quote]
No, they literally can't take notice of them. To apply to an MIT grad school, you still have to give the department your external transcript, which would have no record. The only person who could access your internal transcript is your advisor.</p>
<p>I am actually not even sure if an NR class first semester even shows up in your internal transcript -- first semester grades, at least, do not show up, even on the internal transcript.</p>
<p>Isn't there a policy that an MIT undergrad can declare intent for a MIT Masters degree after the first year, and basically be automatically admitted to the program for the 5th year?</p>
<p>Is this true for all departments, or only certain ones (like EE)?</p>
<p>Only certain departments offer the program, which leads to an MEng degree. The Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department's program is the most widely-utilized, although I believe other engineering departments offer similar programs. (The science departments do not, as only two of the science departments at MIT even offer master's degrees.)</p>
<p>Information on the EECS program is [url=<a href="http://www.eecs.mit.edu/ug/mengadm.html%5Dhere%5B/url">http://www.eecs.mit.edu/ug/mengadm.html]here[/url</a>]. Students apply for the program after their junior year.</p>