<p>Not even +/- 's ?
Then it would be really hard to get good grades! Even if you have an 89, it’s a B, but say if you are a student who gets an avg. of 87 or 88, it’s a pain in the ass!
So, is this the correct range?</p>
<p>90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
0-69 NC</p>
<p>You're correct that there's no pluses or minuses, but the way you divide up the grades is incorrect. It depends on the class. For instance, for organic chemistry (an insanely hard class) the spread was like this:
75 - 100 A
60 - 75 B
45 - 60 C
0 - 45 NC
Roughly that was it. Then again, for Intro to Econ it was closer to what you were saying. It can be a pain in the ass if you are really close to having an A and end up with a B, but its very nice if you just barely have an A- and end up with an A. Its good I think because it "smears" out grades that could look different (but really aren't) due to inconsistencies in grading. Pacifica House (one of Brown's rich, weird, secret socities) did a big report on this awhile back which I'm sure you could find online. There's been numerous investigations of whether or not we should get pluses and minuses again, or just for B's or what, and so far everyone seems happy with the current system. But maybe one day they'll change it. Personally, I'd like an A, B +/-, C system better, but for not having pluses or minuses for As its definately worth it as it greatly reduces stress and competition.</p>
<p>I am sure that the students there work their butts off for higher grades. But would you say that you need more amount of work than other top 50 public schools to get an A?(Assuming if your major is in science field)
Are professors at Brown harsh graders compared to state schools? I am sure that grade infl. doesn't neccessarily mean that one can achieve higher grades.
But I actually thought just having only A, B, C would bring more competition.
It even let's me think Brown might even be harder than Cornell. For the orgo course you suggested, the course seems to have huge gaps of standard deviation.
I need a VERY wise decision b/c my choices for transfer include a couple publics and Brown.</p>
<p>Uh, Brown isn't a top 50 public school. Its not a public school at all. And yeah, since the student body as a whole is probably more over-achieving, you'd likely have to work harder than if you went to a large state school. Having never gone to one though, I can't say for sure.</p>
<p>Hey I actually edited my post</p>
<p>Ah I see. Those numbers I gave for orgo were just rough estimates, I don't know what the precise final distribution was unfortunately. I really believe that not having A+/- decreases competition as students who are already getting As don't need to kill themselves (and each other) trying to get the A+ and avoid the A-. As I said before, it also blurs distinctions that may have been unfairly caused by subjective grading. If you are worried about how hard Brown is, I'll warn you that you will be surrounded by incredibly intelligent, motivated, and energetic students who are very dedicated to academics. However, Brown is as hard as you make it. If you want a challenging courseload its there, or if you want to slack off or take everything Pass Fail thats an option (an unpopular one, but an option anyway). Still, if you want to guarantee yourself all A+s, your best bet is to go to the state school. Unfortunately, you might sacrificing a great education and an amazing experience.</p>