<p>Both Harvard and Yale are known for grade inflation while Princeton is known for grade deflation (new policy just instituted in the past few years). I know that at Swarthmore there is very little competition for grades (no grades first semester and never a calculated GPA as part of the transcript) but I am not familiar with inflation/deflation at Swarthmore. </p>
<p>All in all, do not make a decision on whether a school is notorious for grade inflation or deflation. If you are interested in grad school, admissions officers know the academic environment of most well known / academically acclaimed institutions.</p>