<p>Random stuff of interest from Spring 2011 Convocation:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Has grade inflation come to UChicago? For years, someone or other has been counting the number of people getting general honors at spring convocation. General honors requires a GPA of 3.25 or higher (i.e., B+), and a certain number of quality grades that I've never heard of anyone falling below. Two years ago, and the two years before that, about 60-65% of the spring graduates had general honors. This year, it was way higher than that -- about 75%. I used to estimate that the median GPA at Chicago was somewhere between 3.3 and 3.4, and there was other data to confirm that, but I think that's probably too low now. </p></li>
<li><p>There seems to be a massive shift into Social Sciences underway. Fully half of the people graduating had primary majors in the Social Sciences Division. There were only about 200 (17%) graduates whose primary major was in the Humanities Division, about 170 (15%) in Physical Sciences (which includes Math) and about 140 in Biological Sciences.</p></li>
<li><p>People whose primary major is in the Physical Sciences Division are far more likely to double-major than anyone else. Only about 4% of majors in the Humanities Division had a second major, and 10% of those in the Biological Sciences Division, but 40% of the graduates whose primary major was in Physical Sciences had a second (or more) major. Most, but far from all of these were Math majors who picked up a second concentration in a related field.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>One guy had FOUR majors. Two BS degrees (Math and Physics), and two BAs (Computer Science and Chemistry). That's impressive, if a bit ridiculous.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The university needs to recruit better a cappella singers and much, much better dancers. It also desperately needs a new alma mater. I must have heard the current one 50 times, and I know I can't hum or whistle is, and I doubt I could even recognize it if I heard it out of context. The lyrics are completely generic and dumb -- institutional lyric poetry by numbers. I could be computer-generated.</p></li>
<li><p>With all the periodic discussion about how crappy the restaurant options in Hyde Park are, there needs to be more recognition of how great Bonjour Cafe Bakery is. Really, really great.</p></li>
<li><p>I saw a great new Chicago t-shirt slogan: I Am Being Fisted By The Invisible Hand. It was being worn by the Director of Undergraduate Studies in a social science department OTHER than Economics.</p></li>
<li><p>If you are going to the southern side of the campus, it makes more sense to take the 59 bus from Midway, not the 55. But the 59 does not run at all on Sunday.</p></li>
<li><p>Every university should have some official with an advanced degree from the Universidad de Salamanca, whose neon-yellow robe and hood, um, stands out in the sea of reds, blues, and purples.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Congratulations to phuriku, gracello, and all of the other posters here (and children of posters who just graduated)!</p>
<p>Honors at Booth this year required about a 3.65, and high honors around 3.9. Our average grade in any particular class is capped at 3.33, so the average GPA is probably around 3.3 or high 3.2s. This is probably not particularly correlated to the College, but thought it might be interesting for people to know.</p>
<p>Divine: Yes, obviously. (Very obviously. Visible-from-space obviously. That is one visually arresting get-up.)</p>
<p>Let me take this opportunity to correct some typos:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I also forgot to note about Mr. Quadruple Major that he had honors in two of them, and had been elected to Phi Beta Kappa (indicating a GPA not much lower, and possibly higher, than 3.9). Ridiculous. With the core you would be talking about more than 50 courses, maybe as many as 60. I’m sure he had some exam credit and some of the requirements overlapped, but still . . .</p>
<p>Congratulations to all the graduates and their families. I didn’t realize until reuniting with my D that, facing the stage, the entire right hand section of the graduates were Social Science majors, along with the front row on the left (where she was sitting!). I didn’t count, but should we take bets on how many were Econ majors? Agree with JHS about the singers (so you did go to the Baccalaureate!), but in all fairness, they were the seniors from a variety of a capella groups who seemed to also be scheduled to speak at some point. There were parts missing. It probably would have been better if they had chosen a particular group to sing (like the Motet Choir at Convocation), or not. I had hoped that given the fact that graduation was the second weekend in June I would not have had to resort to buying a blanket in the bookstore before the ceremony started, but no such luck. My H also had to take the grandparents back to the hotel after she got her diploma (good thing she was in the first row of Social Science majors!) to avoid hypothermia. I can’t decide whether the 90 degrees and sweltering in 2007 was better or worse. At least no one seemed to faint this year . . . freeze perhaps, but not faint. </p>
<p>But all in all, it was a wonderful weekend. I was so sad to leave Hyde Park with her on Tuesday, and I know her last coffee from the Med Bakery made her cry. It was a wonderful 8 years in Hyde Park for our family.</p>
<p>Congtats to your kid, and glad to hear the parental honors counting tradition continues. good to have actual data for the GPA debate. I suspect your estimate is accurate. </p>
<p>Any more kids in the pipeline, or is this goodbye to UofC? </p>
<p>Newmassmom and I have not been back since Newmassdaughter graduated three years ago (has it really been that long? That explains why we can eat out again, with no tuition bills…) We do miss our visits. Thought of borrowing an undergrad for parents/family weekend, but have not found anyone willing…</p>
<p>At least there’s visits to grad schools to make…</p>
<p>JHS – we were on campus that day, but to pack up and move S1 (rising fourth year) and his GF (who was singing at various festivities). I did not expect it to be 59 degrees in mid-June, but it sure made packing up and loading the car much easier!</p>
<p>I <em>wish</em> S1 would double major (physical sciences). He has certainly taken enough credits to do so, but does not want to meet the specific requirements of the second major.</p>
<p>i’m glad to have an excuse to visit (my sister is at u of c now) because i am already going through withdrawal over having to leave my department!</p>
<p>Yeah, the GPA needed for PBK has risen about 0.1 over the past few years – ridiculous. The need to move general honors to 3.5. A 3.25 doesn’t take much effort. Most classes average at least a B+ (3.3).</p>