Department following grade deflation policy and admissions

[insaneabd]

My department typically gives very low grades. The average grade is typically around B. With about 15 people in my class (physics), and with everyone hard workers, everyone's major GPA has slowly meandered towards 3.0.

How will this have an effect on admissions? My GPA is currently 3.1, yet I rank 3rd or 4th out of 15.

 

[bcrowell]

I don't understand how you reconcile the statement that "My department typically gives very low grades" with the statement that "The average grade is typically around B." If the average is a B, then your department gives highly inflated grades.

 

[insaneabd]

Ummm.. B = 3.0

The typical average grade for a program in my uni is 3.3 = B +.

The Bio program is crazy. The average grade is something like 3.7- 3.8. It's a nightmare for any of the bio majors if they get less than a A- ( = 3.7).

 

[Anonymous217]

A B-average is rather normal, if not grade inflated. However, the term "grade inflation" has been so widely used that it refers to so many different averages. For example, Ivy leagues in particular are known for their grade inflation (with a 3.5+ average if I recall) while Berkeley has around a 2.9 gpa average. But, to be honest, everything has grade inflation unless the average is 2.0 or less. So you're comparing two grade inflations (3.5+ average to 2.9 average), newly defining the higher grade inflation as "grade inflation" and the lower grade inflation as "grade deflation".

My point of the post: don't use the term "grade inflation".

To answer the OP: I'm sure it won't really make a difference. I can assume the admissions committee will always take into account the general gpa average of your uni or department. However, subjectively, I wouldn't be surprised if admissions saw a 4.0 (3.8 average) better than a 3.2 (2.9 average), or something like that. You get the point.

 

[Jack21222]

My department typically gives very low grades. The average grade is typically around B. With about 15 people in my class (physics), and with everyone hard workers, everyone's major GPA has slowly meandered towards 3.0.

How will this have an effect on admissions? My GPA is currently 3.1, yet I rank 3rd or 4th out of 15.

4th out of 15 and 3.1... sounds about right to me. Are you trying to blame your department for your B performance?

 

[insaneabd]

Not really. I should have worked harder. The class topper has a 3.9, so yea...

But I get the point. Thanks.

 

[DrummingAtom]

I just glanced at my school's averages for some math/science classes. They are in the 2.2-2.6 GPA range.

 

[cjl]

That doesn't sound inflated to me, at least not for undergrad. My school's undergraduate engineering, math, and sciences give average grades of C+ to B- (2.3-2.7).

 

[flyingpig]

I thought the average has always been 2.7 - 3.0.

Anything below 2.7 is deflation and anything above 3.0 can be regarded as inflation.

3.0 = 70% right?

 

[cjl]

I thought the average has always been 2.7 - 3.0.

Anything below 2.7 is deflation and anything above 3.0 can be regarded as inflation.

3.0 = 70% right?

Not necessarily at my school (University of Colorado). Each class is individually curved, so there is no exact percentage correlation to grade. However, in most classes, 70% ends up around a B-, which is a 2.7.