Right and if you are going to have + and - you should be able to offset an A- with an A+. Other wise just make all 90 and above A’s as you do.
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Some colleges that assign A+ to exceptional course work do give their students who receive A+ an extra GPA boost (typically to 4.3).
Exactly. My D’s school is another that gives nothing extra for an A+ but treats an A- as 3.7. The professors determine the cutoff so it is class dependent (e.g. an A is 93+ in one of my D’s classes and 94+ in another). She is right at the cutoff in those classes so she’s assuming she has A-/3.7 in both so she will be pleasantly surprised rather than let down if the professor bumps to an A. She has solid A/A+ in her other classes but since A+ offers no boost most likely she won’t have a 4.0.
I am crazy proud she did so well, but she is going through that moment of “it’s the first time I don’t have a 4.0”. Oh, kid, just you wait! 
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Mine just found out that he ended the semester with a 4.0! But apparently he won’t make Dean’s list. To do that, you need at least a 3.4 over 12 credit hours that are graded A-F and he only has 11. He started the semester with 15 credit hours but he withdrew from one class that was online asynchronous, and one of his remaining five classes was a 1 credit research seminar thats graded as a pass/fail course. Oh well. He’s registered for 18 credits for spring semester including a few sophomore/junior level engineering courses so I’m sure his 4.0 won’t hold, but maybe he’ll have a shot at Dean’s list!
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UC Berkeley gives A+ but only worth 4.0
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Hey parents, in case your kids are still in transit to get home by plane this week (like mine), I find this site helpful to at least know what’s happening at the airports.
One of S21’s classmates had her flight canceled so was stranded in Chicago over night. Luckily they had friends. Her mom told me that the hotel she booked for her D21 didn’t let under 21 check in.
If you have to book hotels for your kids, call and check to make sure they can check in. I checked with two in Chicago so we have two that we know will let S21 check in with his own credit card even if he’s not 21 (had to do with alcohol served at location).
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An alternative is to book a hotel that offers mobile check-in and mobile key (many Hyatt and Marriott run hotels, among others, offer this feature). Once checked in on the hotel mobile app, your child can go directly to the room without ever stopping by the front desk.
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Yes I did this with Hilton, too. So incredibly convenient.
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I have Marriott but not all the hotels have this capability.
That’s correct. You need to check on the hotel web site (or on its mobile app) to make sure the hotel has that feature before booking. Many hotels do and more are adding that feature.
I used this site last night! D had to fly through Baltimore and her second leg was cancelled one hour before she left NY so we rebooked her on a very late flight from BWi to home only for that plane to be stuck in New Orleans! I used the website to see it finally takeoff to a BWI an hour late. D finally arrived here in the wee hours of this morning. But she made it!
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Students have a love/hate relationship with +/-. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it hurts. But yeah, above 90 I give an A. Below that +/- is better at differentiation. I also round, but a lot of faculty don’t because they think it’s a slippery slope.
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My son is happy for 90 being an A, as he just ended up with an A in Physics 3 with 90.03%! It was a difficult upper level class (he was the only freshman who stuck it out), and he missed the last week of classes due to a non-Covid virus, and he was too sick to study like he wanted to for the final, but pulled out a 74, above the median of 65. I’m hoping each small victory means he’ll let go of some stress before the next final or paper.
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Once you check in via mobile, can you just forward the mobile key to your kid?
Your kid needs to download the app and log in. Once checked in, the room door can be opened via Bluetooth by tapping a button in the app while holding the phone near the door lock.
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Half the time I use mobile key with Marriott I have to stop at the desk and check-in anyway. It’s actually pretty annoying that they do that- I wouldn’t trust it for sending my kid alone; it could be embarrassing if they required the ID/card check-in at the desk anyway.
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I haven’t noticed that myself. Is there a reason why some of these hotels need you to stop by the front desk? Is it for security reason? Are these hotels located in areas where security might be an issue?
I have no idea why. It seems to be pretty random, actually.
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I use the Hilton app and haven’t been by the front desk in a year staying in 6-7 different hotels in different states. Many hotels will also let you sign a waiver for your under 21 child. I’ve done that a few times - you basically have to take responsibility for any charges/damages.
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Well, if A+ is counted >4.0, then you can effectively offset an A- with an A+ and still end up with a 4.0.