<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I was wondering how hard it is to achieve a high GPA in Macalester, something like 3.8. I plan to pursue further education in graduate school, so maintaining a high gpa is important for me.</p>
<p>I'm planning to major on Bio/Biochem and I would like to hear from current students how difficult it is to maintain a high GPA. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Your blunt attitude on wanting a school with high GPA's is unusual, but for an international student concerned with staying in the US I guess it's understandable. Average GPA's vary widely across departments; I think the average in Biology is a 3.25 or 3.3. You can certainly do a lot better than that by working hard and mixing in courses from other departments. Like most colleges, the lowest GPA's at Mac are generally in the sciences, then social sciences, then humanities.
However, if you're concerned with getting into grad school (med school perhaps?) you should be looking at a college's grad school admission rates, not the average GPA's in their departments. Grad schools know how easy it is to get A's at different colleges. Mac's premed program is difficult, but it does a good job preparing people for med school.</p>
<p>consider that the research you pursue while in college (i.e, summer research) probably has a much greater effect on your grad school options. </p>
<p>keep in mind that schools with grade inflation in the science departments will probably receive less respect from grad schools over time. bio at mac is reasonably deflated not as hard-core as chemistry but it takes work.</p>
<p>you will find good research opportunities,particularly if you make connections with professors and explore the huge abundance of options within the twin cities (once you list your major as bio, you will receive many e-mails from the department about positions in the city to apply to)</p>