grade inflations

[lazgirl24]

Which schools inflates their grades? (esp. in Cali)

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[beatla19]

Small private schools usually are the schools that inflate grades, but the only one I know for sure is Stanford. Most publics, at least in CA, don't have this problem.

 

[lazgirl24]

does grading on a curve = grade inflation? 85% = A-? I know MIT, standford and santa clara does it>

 

[beatla19]

I don't think grading on a curve necessarily means grade inflation. If a teacher figures the average for a class to be 68%, then he would make that a C if there were no inflation. If there were inflation, 68% would equal a C+, B-, or B, depending on how far he wanted to inflate. Also, I remember my friend at NYU said that they curve at a B. (I know a teacher from stanford, and he said they make the average a B-)

 

[scota]

The average GPA at UCLA is around a 3.0. That seems somewhat inflated. The science department, however, doesn't inflate as much as others. Some majors, like Russian Language and Literature, have an average GPA of about a 3.7. So there is some obvious grade inflation, but it depends on the school and major.

 

[supersunny]

i heard ucsd's average gpa is 2.8.

i can't confirm because i haven't looked it up yet though..

 

[beatla19]

Cal Poly's is a 2.8 as well. I think it's pretty normal for publics to have lower gpa's. Hopefully med schools take that into account.

 

[411]

Originally posted by beatla19
Small private schools usually are the schools that inflate grades, but the only one I know for sure is Stanford. Most publics, at least in CA, don't have this problem.

Do you go to Stanford? If not, how can you know "for sure" about this -- Although many private schools have reputations for grade inflation, Stanford has dramatically reduced any grade inflation (which was always slim-to-none in premed classes).

 

[R_C_Hutchinson]

this is kind of a moot discussion as almost all grade inflation occurs in objectively graded classes, the ones that most premeds outside of those who major in psychology etc.) don't take. in general most publics set their average percentage at the C+/B- cutoff, not so much because they want to inflate grades but because they want to pass enough people to have a graduating class at the end of each year (substantially more would drop or fail if the bell curve wee observed)

 

[ice_23]

I know that stanford has some degree of grade inflation. The mean GPA of a CS major is typically somewhere around a 3.3 (or a B+), whereas the mean of an english major is somewhere around a 3.65 (or near an A-).

However, that being said, in the premed classes, it is difficult to do well (i.e. get A's) simply because the students in the class are very "gunner-ish" and incredibly intelligent. The means are usually curved to a B/B-, but those that receive A's are typically incredibly bright students, the types of which I definitely did not encounter in high school. The competition is pretty tough, and that's what makes the "grade inflation" concept an ambiguous one. Getting A's at another school might not even result in getting the mean at this school, IMO.

-Ice

 

[beatla19]

I went to stanford for a physio class over the summer, and it was curved at a B. The teacher told me he typically curves it at a B-. However, I completely agree that it's VERY difficult to get an A, and even getting a B would mean you are an "average" Stanford student. That's certainly an accomplishment as well.

 

[SoulRFlare]

the other day I was in my research lab and one of the phD students was reading/commenting on an article about a school where 80% of the students receive A's. I wish I could remember which school it was now (I believe it was a small private school) I'd say that grade inflation results from an "unnatural" number of A's systemically. I say systemically because I also think there are some classes where it's possible that a large number of ppl earn A's. Though I don't believe that ppl should recieve A's simply to prevent hurt feelings, or to make everyone feel included, I also don't think that if everyone gets a 90 or above on a given test, the prof should scale it so that the 90%'s get D's/F's, the 93%'s get C's etc...

 

[CalBeE]

Originally posted by scota
The average GPA at UCLA is around a 3.0. That seems somewhat inflated. The science department, however, doesn't inflate as much as others.

I think all classes at UCLA that are pre-reqs for med school are graded on a curve. Usually it's 15% or 20% A's. This is probably relatively good compared to what I heard at Northwestern undergrad (A class with <5% people getting A?)

 

[g3pro]

Originally posted by beatla19
Small private schools usually are the schools that inflate grades, but the only one I know for sure is Stanford. Most publics, at least in CA, don't have this problem.

i can't believe you think that stanford inflates their grades.

did it ever occur to you that the students there are incredibly intelligent? would you rather have those students who do much better than the national average get C's when their work is worth A's?

 

[AlternateSome1]

Sounds like the standard argument for why Harvard inflates grades...

~AS1~

 

[Nutmeg]

http://www.gradeinflation.com/

My o-chem professor, who came from Harvard, made a point of posting a Boston Globe article about grade inflation on the overhead projector and saying that he refused to fall into that trend, so don't come crying to him if you don't like your o-chem grade.

I'm just glad that I don't go to a school that inflates grades. At least I know that I earn the grades I get.

 

[ice_23]

Originally posted by Nutmeg
http://www.gradeinflation.com/

My o-chem professor, who came from Harvard, made a point of posting a Boston Globe article about grade inflation on the overhead projector and saying that he refused to fall into that trend, so don't come crying to him if you don't like your o-chem grade.

I'm just glad that I don't go to a school that inflates grades. At least I know that I earn the grades I get.

I suppose, but two of my friends took physics Light and Heat classes at Stanford, and were on the verge of the mean (about a B-). One stopped out, took mechanics at UCLA, and received an A . The other took mechanics at Stanford, and received yet again a B-. This does NOT prove that UCLA is "easier" than stanford, and there are a host of other variables in this example to consider (i.e. the student at UCLA could have simply started to work harder). This just means that, although the latter student (who took the physics class at stanford) graduated with near a 3.2 GPA, it does NOT mean that he did not "earn" the equivalent of A's at other schools. The GPA number means a lot less when you compare it with both the difficulty of the material and the competition of the class around you.

-Ice

 

[BonBon Doux]

Cal Lutheran inflates as does Univ of San Diego (USD), Univ of San Fran (USF), and I've heard so does USC...the Cal-State schools do too (Chico, CSULA, SDSU, etc) but if i wanted a great gpa upon graduation, i would head over to Cal Lutheran but then again, going to a small, unheard of private school means having to kick ass on the mcat.

don't worry so much about the inflation...just keep you eyes on your own goals and you'll be fine...

BonBon

 

[Selisa]

Originally posted by beatla19
Also, I remember my friend at NYU said that they curve at a B...

hmm...the last time i checked, the science classes were curved at a C+/B-. has something changed in the last year and a half?

 

[Rendar5]

All my classes varied in where the curve was. It generally was a C+, B-, or B. B+ for GChem Lab (very basic chemistry lab).

I actually had a class where the mean was an A-, but there were only 8 people in it, and it was the hardest class in my major. Pretty much a sink or swim class. You manage to keep up with the work and understand it, you deserve the grade you got.

 

[R_C_Hutchinson]

Originally posted by scota
The average GPA at UCLA is around a 3.0. That seems somewhat inflated. The science department, however, doesn't inflate as much as others. Some majors, like Russian Language and Literature, have an average GPA of about a 3.7. So there is some obvious grade inflation, but it depends on the school and major.

mean science grade in both biochemistry and microbiology is 2.7. mean grade in ethnomusicology is 3.8. UCLA actually does an excellent job at keeping science grade inflation in check, if it wasnt so diverse departmentally the school-wide GPA would reflect that.

 

[beatla19]

First off, I go to a cal state and the curve for almost all science classes has been a C( Calc I was a C+). From my experience, CSU's don't grade inflate. Second, my friend is in a liberal arts program at NYU, so I really should have specified that. Also, I was simply saying that Stanford DOES inflate grades, I'm not saying why they do it. Their reasons may be perfectly valid, but the fact is that it happens there(I also happen to love stanford and I think its a great school).

 

[scota]

R_C_Hutchinson,

Yeah, I read that grade inflation article in the DB a few months back. The science classes are very tough! I'm a social science major, however, so I don't have to worry too much .