<p>The Wharton curve is not grade deflation. Wharton students can complain about it all they want, but the fact is that curving to a B+ is actually very reasonable. In fact, I took an upper division science course which WAS EXPLICITLY NOT CURVED and still the grade distribution was very similar to that in Wharton. While we usually don’t have strict curves (that we know of) in the science courses I take, the average is always usually between a B and B+.
Also, I have heard that in Wharton courses, there is definitely a way to brute force learn the material. In hard science courses, this is not true. You can study all you want and may receive a perfectly acceptable grade that is not an A.
Several of my science major friends have taken classes in Wharton, especially finance and say similar things. If you are a very diligent student, you will do well in Wharton. The reason investment banks want people with high GPAs is because getting a very high GPA shows a lot of discipline. While it’s true you have to be intelligent to get a high GPA, the higher you go the less it really means. Most people who have very high GPAs (not all) have inflated their coursework to an extent. Others have sacrificed other opportunities such as extracurriculars to maintain this GPA. In the end, it is better to have a good (probably around 3.7) GPA and participate in activities outside the classroom than to get a 4.0 having spent all your free time studying.</p>