<p>This thread is not to brag about how your kid got a 4.0 in freshman year, but I'm curious to find out how they did do in comparison to HS performance. So for those of you with students completing their first year, were the grades higher, lower, or about the same as the HS GPA. I'm especially interested in students in difficult programs like engineering (I was once an engineering student and my grades took a nosedive from a 4.0 in HS to just under a 3.0 freshman year at Ga. Tech), so if your student is an engineering major or similar, note that as well.</p>
<p>I'll start: My S's freshman grades were just about the same as the HS grades (non-engineering).</p>
<p>I'll be interested in reading the responses, since my son is going off this year to study engineering. I have heard that GT is notorious for traditional grading (that is, NO grade inflation) and that first year is quite a shock for some students.</p>
<p>Our son is enrolled in a ranked business school and honors program. His grades for both freshman and sophomore years were consistent with high school but he had to work harder than he worked in high school.</p>
<p>D was a 4.0 in HS, AP type program
She had 3.5-4.0 range in university including some toughies like Calc & Chem (infamous weeder course) at a top public.
Interestingly, it was the B+s in humanities classes that drug her GPA down!
In a university filled with straight A HS students, they have to realise not every one of them can get an A in every class, then determine where they are in the range of student.
We were very pleased, especially with a sport + campus job + sorority commitment, she was less pleased, but came around to realize some B+s can mean more than As in other classes, also the fine line in what makes the difference became quite clear...to earn an A you simply cannot relax ever, you must stay on top of every aspect of your class, never lose the opportunity to gain a few points on a pop quiz or an extra assignment.</p>
<p>Very interesting thread, as I have been thinking along the same line for some time.</p>
<p>D is not an engineering student, but currently is following a pre-med track, of sorts. D received one B+ both 1st and 2nd semester - first B of any kind after 7 years (middle school and high school) of nothing but As. Enough with the bragging........ School activities include a fairly intense club sport.</p>
<p>I have been concerned how D would deal with being one of many at the same academic level, but she seems to be doing fine. She has established many great friendships with students from all over the country (and world). She seems happy to be in a setting where almost everyone is striving for academic excellence, without competing against each other. The club sport has provided a more than adequate replacement for her high school varsity sports.</p>
<p>I don't understand the source of her focus and drive, but it is fun to watch it happen. I figure my job now is to keep her from overdoing things.</p>
<p>S was an A/one B+ hs student all four years. Pretty similar freshman year - Engineering student. A/one B first term. Mix of A/B+/B second term. We were very pleased and he was too.</p>
<p>We encouraged him, as an Engineering student, to make full use of the Pass/Fail option for his outside courses. Only one of those this year so far, but we will continue to encourage that.</p>
<p>I think it depends on school
D was about 3.3 at her private prep high school ( didn't weight)
at Reed- she was about the same- freshman year- although I think she had to work harder
I have also heard of students who had lower grades at big university classes- that had a pretty steep curve- but a university is going to be a big change from most high schools as well- so the transition is probably also a factor</p>
<p>D was 4.2 W in HS nad was 3.1 as a freshman. Lots of distractions in NYC. School work is very doable. There are just other people doing more of it.</p>
<p>Son did about the same or a tad better than high school (this is at an LAC). </p>
<p>The BAD thing is that at least 2 of his good friends are on academic suspension. (Really bad because one was supposed to be his roommate! He had medical issues, that obviously affected his grades...)</p>
<p>Son is a double major in engineering and german. Freshman grades were similar to high school (all A's with two A+'s and two A-'s). Some classes were harder than hs, some were easier.</p>
<p>Considering that all of D's college friends and she were straight A students in HS, she knows of no one who received straight A's at her LAC. It seems that B+ is a very good grade for many of the profs. You really have to work hard for them (harder than for an A in HS). She told me about the time one of her profs told everyone who received below a B on a paper, that they needed to come in and see him and redo it! This was most of the class! D didn't have to redo it, but only about 3-4 were home free. D had one B+ each semester (first ever!), but was floored to receive 2 A+'s, and the rest were A's. Her current average is between an A- and an A since there are no extra points for the A+.</p>
<p>Son had a B+ both semesters and the rest As. I think he had one B in high school. He worked much harder than he ever did in high school. In pre-med track (prob. chem major). At a school known for grade deflation.</p>
<p>Talked to some of my son's friends who went to large state universities and they are doing better than in high school. They claim notes posted online, attendance not required, and doing the reading is not necessary to do well on tests.</p>
<p>mkm56 - interesting note about the State U's. I would suspect that those off to LACs or more elite schools would be more likely to keep the grades up. But that's just a feeling.</p>
<p>S had about a 3.9 in high school, after two years hovering between 3.6-7 at college. Working much, much harder, which doesn't mean much because he hardly studied in HS. Mandatory language classes (his weakness) have been tough for him. He's doing fine, but feels like he's slacking because his best friend and his girlfriend both have near 4.0s. They really work hard.</p>
<p>S had 4.6w in h.s unweighted prob about 3.8ish. He got an even mix of A's and B's for the first year at big state u (not engineering major but taking the same math/science tract). Worked much harder than in h.s and had a packed schedule (18 hrs. of classes) plus lots of time spent on ROTC. He was happy with his 3.475 for first semester and 3.275 for second semester(gotta love calc.2). He knows many who will be repeating Calc.2 so I don't think he would say classes at big publics are easier than h.s.</p>