<p>I have heard the ivy’s have huge grade inflation. I also heard Cornell was the “easiest” ivy to be admitted into, but the most difficult to graduate from. Of the kids I know who have gone to Harvard and Yale they say you really get counseled and pushed through. You may have to see if you can find the average gpa’s at schools to determine. Now there is something to be said that kids at ivy’s are probably A students to begin with, and I don’t know how you can reliably find out how much grade inflation exists at certain universities.</p>
<p>Among the Ivies, Princeton has the reputation of having grade deflation.</p>
<p>My colleague at work went to UPenn, and according to him, grade deflation was not a problem when he was there. He mentioned though that his son, attending UC Berkeley, is known for grade deflation.</p>
<p>My niece and my nephew attended UCLA and they graduated Cum Laude.</p>
<p>We are going to visit a few schools that D is admitted to. I would love to get your input on what to look for when we visit these schools as an admitted student. D is scheduled to sit in a class at one of the school and will schedule the same at the other school. </p>
<p>A big fat envelope from Gonzaga was in our mailbox this morning, along with the Trustee Merit Scholarship! </p>
<p>Congratulations Agent and Spygirl!!! That’s awesome!</p>
<p>I’ll tell you my kid works much harder at Cornell (Engineering) than he ever did in HS, and he is not getting the same grades! I think people cry “grade inflation” whenever a course is curved to something higher than a C, but as you say, all the kids are A students to begin with. For example, my son aced AP Calculus, but when he took calculus at Cornell (a large portion of which overlapped with the AP calculus he had already taken) he worked his butt off for a B. He said something along the lines of “They curve it to a B-, and around here I’m ‘just average’ at calculus.” I know he could be getting all A’s at the schools where he would have been in the top 5% of the class. But I’m pretty sure he’s learning more where he is. I find it hard to believe that grad schools are just looking at GPA in a vacuum without considering where it’s coming from (although I have heard that before). </p>
<p>At William & Mary where my S’12 is going and my S’14 will go they joke about the ives and grade inflation there. My S’12 is a Physics major and is working his butt off as well. His comment at Spring Break was “I could be a straight A student with a humanities major but with Physics no way and everyone else can go out three nights a week but not us Physics majors!” He says the prof’s want that pretty bell curve and make the exams/midterms really difficult to see the spread - last math class mid-term the average was 58! I think high school students have a big adjustment to this kind of environment. I tell him I don’t care what his grades are but is he learning, is he enjoying it and is still glad Physics is his major - so long as they are all yes - we are good!</p>
<p>@mathmomvt–Cornell Engineers earn those grades! I am always surprised when a student places out using AP credit for a class in his major. I completely understand using APs to satisfy distribution requirements such a foreign language, but I can’t imagine jumping into the second year math classes of the Engineering majors as a freshman.</p>
<p>Congrats Agent99! Woot! Woot!</p>
<p>Have also heard about significant grade deflation at Cornell and a few other schools such as Davidson and Wash U, and engiineering in general (michigan eng and purdue eng specifically). And as to whether such school grading is acknowledged by outside institutions…I think it depends…certain places and employers will know all about it and deal with it accordingly, while I think others (particularly larger state universities) are less likely to consider. So, I think it depends.</p>
<p>I also found the section in David & Goliath about college selection an interesting read…</p>
<p>Barnard does not seem to have grade inflation. BarnardGirl works harder than ever with lesser results, but she loves it. </p>
<p>I just finished my final exam. After four and a half years, 17 classes totaling 51 credits, I am finished with grad school. I’m bawling like a baby and I can’t stop- emotions are so funny. It’s like all the stress of the last few years is flowing out of me. </p>
<p>@Barnard Mom - congrat’s let the tears flow! Relief feels good!</p>
<p>Congratulations, @2016BarnardMom!</p>
<p>@CT1417 he actually wasn’t eligible to place out of calculus because he only had AB calculus, and Cornell requires BC to place out of the first “calculus for engineers”. He did place out of one Physics class – he’s a CS major though so the physics isn’t that foundational for him. DS’14 who is going into Mechanical engineering almost certainly won’t place out of physics, both because it’s foundational and because his teacher left mid-year (medical crisis) and he finished the course online and doesn’t feel that he really learned it well (despite pulling off a 5 on the AP exam). Depending on the calculus sequence where he ends up though, I think he will probably place out of the first calc class (he will have AB and BC, so most places he’s be allowed to place out of the first 2 classes, but will probably place out of the first and “repeat” the second). </p>
<p>congrats Barnard Mom!</p>
<p>Yay for Barnard mom! Cry away, from relief, from pride, from exhaustion! What an awesome accomplishment.</p>
<p>My son took BC in HS but chose an honors calc series at Rochester. It was proof based, which he had never done before. If he did the “regular” series he would have been fine jumping ahead, not with this series. It sure is a new world when these kids are suddenly surrounded by other similar kids instead of being one of a few in hs. </p>
<p>CONGRATS Barnard Mom!! Woo Hoo!</p>
<p>@BarnardMom - That’s so great! Congrats on a job well done and hope you enjoy time with your DD next week!!</p>
<p>My math/science/programming child is still in 9th grade but on track to take multi-variable calc Sr year, so I imagine we will be visiting the subject of waiving entry-level classes with him. Not an issue with first child!</p>
<p>Interesting observation eyemamom about proof-based vs regular. I will try to keep that in mind for three years from now! (I will still be on this forum, I am sure!)</p>
<p>That’s fabulous, @BarnardMom!! Congratulations, you’ve earned it! =D> </p>