<p>I don't think people can just take one or two classes anymore, due to the new ECP restrictions to ensure people graduate in four years.</p>
<p>Flopsy, how is graduating in 4 years looking for you?</p>
<p>I'm very likely going to graduate within four years. I'm taking four classes every quarter and am also taking three classes every summer during Summer Sessions to get ahead on my GE requirements. By the end of my second year (this year) I'll have 103 units with about 70 units left to go.</p>
<p>What is the average GPA of UCLA students? I heard that no matter how hard the students may study, B is the best they can get in many cases. Is it true? I want to go to a graduate school later, and I don't know if I can ever make 3.5 GPA in UCLA. If it is really hard to earn good GPA in UCLA, I may turn to USC instead. I am planning to major in electronics.</p>
<p>^^^ excellent question. Do professors try to screw you over? can you guys also talk to me on what you know about their engineering department?</p>
<p>I think the campus-wide average GPA is about a 3.1. For the school of engineering, the average GPA is about 2.8. It is really hard to make a 3.5 GPA as an electrical engineering major, but for the <10% or so who have one, they are guaranteed admission into UCLA for graduate school.</p>
<p>Is getting a good GPA all you're really concerned about? Why don't you just go to a school that gives out A's instead of providing an education?</p>
<p>Grade inflation sickens me...Georgetown students apply to schools with lower GPAs because unlike other universities, Gtown doesn't inflate grades...Grad programs adjust GPA to higher.</p>
<p>I took two classes at UCLA (World Politics with Prof. D'Lugo and American Novel with Prof. Wortham) in the summer and I worked my butt off and got an A in the former and A- in the latter. Since it was the summer, it may not accurately portray UCLA, or the average professor, or an average courseload. I didn't feel as if the prof was sabotaging me.</p>
<p>What specifically is so hard about getting good grades? Is it the type of system that even if you know all the material, you won't necessarily get an A? Or is there just too much work?</p>
<p>A good GPA is VERY important to some people eiffel, especially pre-meds. Your entire career path can change entirely if you don't make the grades. That's life-changing stuff.</p>
<p>I think there is a grade distribution; certain amount of students get As, certain get Bs, etc.</p>
<p>"What specifically is so hard about getting good grades? Is it the type of system that even if you know all the material, you won't necessarily get an A? Or is there just too much work?"</p>
<p>In essence, you are competing against very competitive students in the classroom of more than 100 in some rare instances. More students = more competition. </p>
<p>In such large classes, professors do make the exam very hard for the purpose of creating "solid" grade distribution. In other words, the worst nightmare for the professors would be seeing more than a handful of students get 100% on their exams, which would obviously make it hard for the professors to distribute the grades.</p>
<p>For example, in my personal case, when I was taking "Calculus: Several Variables", the average score on the first exam was something like 73%. Apparently, the professor didnt like such high average score, so he made the next exam harder, leading to the average score of less than 65% on the second exam.</p>
<p>The major difference between some grade-inflating private schools and UCLA, or for that matter, large public universities is that professors of large classes at the public u niversities try to deliberately make the exams hard than they should be in relation to the contents of lectures.</p>
<p>I remember taking an exam for the Public Finance course at UCLA. Unlike what had been discussed in the classroom, the exams covered various, sometimes tangetial materials that werent covered during the lectures. Yes, it is not fair. But at the same time, it was the only way to create an accepted curve for the class. Otherwise, if the professor only sticked to what was discussed during the lecture, there would have been a handful of "perfect" exam scores at the time.</p>
<p>During high school, in particular, in the math classes, teachers are often seen giving out problems similarly found in the sections "A" and "B" of the problem solving section of typical textbook in difficulty on the exam. But in college, expect to see a bunch of the "C" section materials on the test.</p>
<p>But don't graduate schools know that they do that and will "over look" the discrepency in GPA? and What exactly is grade inflation?</p>
<p>Certainly. At least from my personal experience that encompasses the MBA schools, virtually all the MBA schools have admission policies that seem to give the benefits of doubts to the grads of public universities. </p>
<p>Although they do not have "hard" formulaic policy that would make the 3.2 GPA from UCLA equivalent to, say 3.6 GPA from Boston University, they are well aware of such discrepancy.</p>
<p>Also, they are also well informed about the difficulty of engineering major students in their quest of achieving 3.2 GPA.</p>
<p>That's why there is such a wide range of GPA distribution (2.8~4.0) in the accepted stuednts to the top MBA programs, such as Wharton, HBS, and Columbia.</p>
<p>Unforunately, I dont have much data to state with authority the same thing about the other graduate programs.</p>
<p>DaRaverLA, if you don't mind me asking, what GPA did you graduate with?</p>
<p>Question about the California Dynamic: I applied to USC (I know... don't hate me... I had no chance at UCLA) and I come from Maine. I've heard that California has a very different attitude than New England... do you know what the difference is? Would I be a total fish out of water at a California school? Am I going to get run over by some elaborate car going 90 in a residential zone (in maine roads you don't really learn to look both ways first... tractors are very slow)?</p>
<p>LOL. squashed, californians in general are very friendly and welcoming. there used to be several threads about this on CC. you won't feel out of place here. plus you'll love the weather... its warm and sunny today, girls are in skirts and guys are in shorts. if you plan to bring a car though, prepare for a stress shock. LA traffic is crazy.</p>
<p>I graduated with BA in Business Economcs with 3.25 GPA. </p>
<p>Most good companies, such as McKinsey, Goldman, Morgan Stanley, have "soft" 3.4, 3.5 cut off GPA rules for screening for an interview.</p>
<p>At first, it was hard for me,as I didnt receive any calls for interview. However, after dilligent research, I was able to land 4 different interviews in the time period of two weeks.</p>
<p>Try to maintain your GPA at least above 3.4 for those Business, Liberal Arts, and Economics majors.</p>
<p>I started with 3.43 in my freshman to 3.67 in my senior year, with the 2nd and 3rd year GPAs being absolutely horrible.</p>
<p>Californians are generally cool. Regardless of your backgroun, you should make friends here instanteously. Just for your information, it would be harder for you not being able to make friends than being able to make friends.</p>
<p>You would always have a bunch of guys you would hang out with on the weekends.</p>
<p>beautiful. thanks!</p>
<p>Just wanted to confirm that you can graduate in four years and also hold a p/t job. S (design|media major) could have graduated one quarter short of four years but decided to take a couple of other courses in his major this spring. He also worked 15 hours a week as a Community Service Officer (CS0) beginning freshman year and continued to work a heavy schedule doing website design after he quit being a CSO.</p>
<p>Remember that UCLA does give you credit for AP exams--that will help.</p>