The Perverse Consequences of the Easy A (re: Grade Inflation at Harvard and Beyond)

[ucbalumnus]

@Muu9

Because the hard-fought admission letter signals a serious depth of… something. The Harvard name has always been valuable over and above the Harvard education. After all, it’s not as if “show me your transcript so I can see your course rigor and GPA” is a typical response to “I went to college in Boston".

Presumably, Harvard students come from the following types of admits:

1. Actual top-end academic achievers and potential.
2. Those admitted with LDC-type hooks but not top-end (beyond “typical excellent” HS record) academics.
3. Those admitted for some non-academic achievement and potential but not top-end academics.

Likely group 1 focuses on academics, choosing high rigor course options and striving for achievement in them, as well as academic achievement beyond that. But groups 2 and 3 may be more likely to get by with “gentlemen A-” grades in ordinary courses, since their post-graduation paths depend more on their connections (group 2) or non-academic achievement and potential (group 3), with the Harvard name on their diploma giving some boost through the aura of group 1.

But this probably isn’t new for Harvard. Decades ago, it was probably similar, except that the academic standards for admission of group 2 were lower, and they were satisfied with “gentlemen C” grades in college.