<p>I'm deciding between applying to Princeton and Yale, and I'm unsure about what role grade inflation/deflation will play in my application. On one hand, I think I'd do well academically at either school so maybe grade deflation will help me but on the other hand, I'm not quite sure and I don't want to spend my college years freaking out about getting bad grades because of Princeton's rigorous grading policy. Is anyone else concerned about this or have been swayed either way because of inflation/deflation? </p>
<p>For full disclosure: I'll be posting an identical thread in Yale's forum because I'm torn between the two!</p>
<p>The answer really depends heavily on your intended major/area of concentration. If you are considering STEM fields, grade deflation is really a non-issue as grading tends to be difficult at either school. Having said that, STEM fields are overall considerably stronger at Princeton. If you are considering humanities you will find the grading at Yale considerably more lenient. </p>
<p>I would caution choosing one school over another based on grading systems. If grades are really that important to you, perhaps you would be best served at a less selective school. Princeton and Yale both have far too much to offer and far too many strengths to compare to let the decision ride on grades.</p>
<p>Personally, I’d love to take a course challenging enough to push my grade into the C - D range. Your future college GPA should be the least of your worries when submitting an application.</p>
<p>Not true if you hope to get into a top med school. And a recent Harvard/Berkely study showed that admissions committees Do not take into account tough grading policies. A GPA is a GPA to them and the higher the better.</p>