MIT rigor

[hyperpuritan1636]

<p>Of course, it’s common knowledge that MIT is quite rigorous. However, its grading is A = 5.0, B = 4.0, etc. So a B average would actually be a 4.0. Does this mean that a B-student at MIT would look the same as students with 4.0 from other colleges?</p>

[hazmat]

<p>Don’t forget the PassFail at MIT…</p>

[1337hax0r]

<p>no way hyper the GPA will get recalculated on the 4.0 scale. many places have an equal rigor to MIT’s.</p>

[roman2180]

<p>hazmat, what’s that?</p>

[hazmat]

<p>Here is what MIT says about First Year…

How will I be graded, or what the heck is P/NR and A/B/C/NR?</p>

<p>While the freshman year curriculum is very demanding, the grading system is designed to eliminate unnecessary pressure and competition. In the first term, all subjects are graded on a “pass/no record” basis. That means if a student does work at the A, B, or C level, a “pass” is recorded on his or her external transcript; if a student should happen to do work at the D or F level, the external transcript will show no record of the student ever having taken the class.</p>

<p>Why does MIT launch freshman year with this unusual grading system? Because it eases the transition to college, allows students to adapt to doing MIT-quality work, gives them flexibility to explore academic, research, and social opportunities at the Institute, and deemphasizes grade competitiveness while emphasizing learning for its own sake. These lessons stay with students throughout their years at MIT and are a big part of the MIT culture.</p>

<p>The second term at MIT is graded on an “A/B/C/no record” basis. While students do receive letter grades on their external transcripts for courses passed, students still have the “safety net” of having no record made of classes in which they happen to receive a D or an F. In this way, students have their entire first year to get used to the workload and standards of MIT, without serious penalty.</p>

<p>After the freshman year, courses are graded on an A/B/C/D/F basis. No +/- modifiers are given on grades. This is another policy meant to tone down the academic pressure. Juniors and seniors also have the opportunity to take several courses on a pass/fail basis, to explore subjects beyond their familiar academic terrain.

</p>

[molliebatmit]

<p>No, when you apply for something for which you’d be compared to other colleges (grad school, professional school, internships, etc), you’re asked to write your GPA on a four-point scale. (Unfortunately.)</p>

<p>The 5-point grading scale is not supposed to “correct” for rigor or anything of the sort; MIT is just on a five-point grading scale for whatever reason, the way other colleges are on other scales.</p>

<p>EDIT: Granted, however, an outside institution may choose to equate an MIT B student with a somewhere-else A student, but that has nothing to do with the grading scales and everything to do with public perception.</p>

[zking786]

<p>Just curious, what other schools would you say are comparable to or surpassing MIT in difficulty? </p>

<p>I’d say Caltech would be, but, from what I’ve heard, there aren’t many harder, schools.</p>