<p>Some students come from schools where they have been stars without ever being tested in the way schools like Vanderbilt test them, and are “exposed”. Others have a temporary transitional difficulty while they adjust to the tougher standards at Vanderbilt.
However, it is time for VU to start grading students the way Harvard etc do, because VU is handicapping its students by its tough grading policies. There are some Profs. at VU who have been known to be almost punitive in their grading, for example INSISTING on handing out a C when a student was within 0.5% of qualifying for a B- (and was basically an A student in almost all of his other courses!). This kind of egotistical and harsh attitude serves students, and ultimately VU itself, poorly. If word spreads that VU has grade deflation, it won’t be long before VU stops winning ANY students in cross-admits from the Ivies/Duke etc. Why would a top student risk a lower GPA at VU when other schools will be much kinder?</p>