Harvard Crimson -Student Reaction to Grade Inflation Report

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not the fault of the faculty who are frustrated, or the students who can't cope with rigor. If they were admitted, it's been taken for granted that they have what it takes to succeed with rigorous classes. If a large number of admitted students are trying but can't cope, it is a problem with the admissions process, and admissions officers need to learn to do better to admit students who are academically prepared for a rigorous college education.

If they only made the SAT test reasonably difficult and also required, all of these dumb kids who can't earn an A in social sciences would have been weeded out from the start already. Coincidence that now that there's pressure to do away with AA and DEI, suddenly standards are raised? Seriously, in the information age, how could anyone with a functioning brain do poorly at any of these regurgitative majors? And if you're here to dispute what was just written, count yourself among that group.

Harvard has been trying to combat grade inflation for over a decade. The only coincidence is you actually paying attention.

You misspelled "create".

The only thing combating grade inflation is the theoretical limit of 4.0

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are ridiculous replies. I have a kid at a T10 that has largely resisted the grade inflation, and I read this article. How I interpreted the kids' reactions was that they were stressed because they felt they needed to be perfect and would no longer get perfect grades. It took our kid a year to adjust to the fact that they weren't going to have a perfect GPA but it was all for the good. These kids think their lives will end if they aren't perfect, but really that will allow them to live more healthy lives. I don't think these are under-prepared kids. Quite the opposite, but they haven't let go of the unrealistic expectations we put on kids.

It's a far cry from when Goerge W Bush's Cs were successes, and Ted Kennedy was spotted by his TA at a bar while a proxy was taking his final exam.

Blaming the youth for the problems their parents generation created pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:. These kids think their lives will end if they aren't perfect, but really that will allow them to live more healthy lives.

Bingo.

While the average Harvard GPA goes up-up-up, the student body reports skyrocketing mental health issues. When an A- (3.67) is below average, that's a big problem.

Average GPA at Harvard:
1950: 2.55
1975: 3.05
1985: 3.17
1990: 3.3
2000: 3.4
2011: 3.6
2022: 3.8

[Anonymous]

They offer a remedial math class to freshmen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not the fault of the faculty who are frustrated, or the students who can't cope with rigor. If they were admitted, it's been taken for granted that they have what it takes to succeed with rigorous classes. If a large number of admitted students are trying but can't cope, it is a problem with the admissions process, and admissions officers need to learn to do better to admit students who are academically prepared for a rigorous college education.

Exactly. It's not the students or professors' fault, it's the admission's team for "match-making" so poorly and picking the wrong individuals for the class. Try harder, Harvard AOs. I feel bad for both the students who are struggling and the professors who think they are lacking.

I assure you the Harvard AOs have not changed their thinking and attitudes, despite whatever the supreme court ruling may be. As someone who actually sat in on an alumni interviewer zoom training session being given by the Harvard admissions office, it is loud and clear that they are being forced to change some of their practices, but only due to fear of subpoenas and legal scrutiny. Much eye rolling and sighs from a senior admissions officer when telling us to make no mention of an applicant’s race, ethnicity and religion in our interview reports.

[Anonymous]

Harvard is outstanding at the graduate level - law, business, medicine, science. A Harvard PhD, JD, MBA, MD is indicative of genuine talent.

But Harvard undergrad these days is different. It's a country club school for the hooked. Harvard undergrad is a networking opportunity, and not much more. As demonstrated by Harvard students who don't go to class and need remedial math and get straight As regardless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not the fault of the faculty who are frustrated, or the students who can't cope with rigor. If they were admitted, it's been taken for granted that they have what it takes to succeed with rigorous classes. If a large number of admitted students are trying but can't cope, it is a problem with the admissions process, and admissions officers need to learn to do better to admit students who are academically prepared for a rigorous college education.

Exactly. It's not the students or professors' fault, it's the admission's team for "match-making" so poorly and picking the wrong individuals for the class. Try harder, Harvard AOs. I feel bad for both the students who are struggling and the professors who think they are lacking.

I assure you the Harvard AOs have not changed their thinking and attitudes, despite whatever the supreme court ruling may be. As someone who actually sat in on an alumni interviewer zoom training session being given by the Harvard admissions office, it is loud and clear that they are being forced to change some of their practices, but only due to fear of subpoenas and legal scrutiny. Much eye rolling and sighs from a senior admissions officer when telling us to make no mention of an applicant’s race, ethnicity and religion in our interview reports.

how ironic considering they themselves are a third generation legacy and recruited athlete at that. I guess that’s what they are qualified to after getting their Harvard degree—gatekeep access, while of course still keeping an avenue open for legacies and athletics recruits, because that is sacred.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:. These kids think their lives will end if they aren't perfect, but really that will allow them to live more healthy lives.

Bingo.

While the average Harvard GPA goes up-up-up, the student body reports skyrocketing mental health issues. When an A- (3.67) is below average, that's a big problem.

Average GPA at Harvard:
1950: 2.55
1975: 3.05
1985: 3.17
1990: 3.3
2000: 3.4
2011: 3.6
2022: 3.8

You got causation wrong.

Underqualified students can't take the rigor-->mental health-->inflate the GPA to maintain student wellbeing-->reiterate

[Anonymous]

You'd be a fool not to acknowledge Harvard practices significant social engineering. Raising the rigor traps the school because it disproportionately affects the social engineered demographics. So what is Harvard to do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You'd be a fool not to acknowledge Harvard practices significant social engineering. Raising the rigor traps the school because it disproportionately affects the social engineered demographics. So what is Harvard to do?

It'll affect most the largest group that benefits from this, the holistically admitted white females.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:. These kids think their lives will end if they aren't perfect, but really that will allow them to live more healthy lives.

Bingo.

While the average Harvard GPA goes up-up-up, the student body reports skyrocketing mental health issues. When an A- (3.67) is below average, that's a big problem.

Average GPA at Harvard:
1950: 2.55
1975: 3.05
1985: 3.17
1990: 3.3
2000: 3.4
2011: 3.6
2022: 3.8

Where are these #s from?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are ridiculous replies. I have a kid at a T10 that has largely resisted the grade inflation, and I read this article. How I interpreted the kids' reactions was that they were stressed because they felt they needed to be perfect and would no longer get perfect grades. It took our kid a year to adjust to the fact that they weren't going to have a perfect GPA but it was all for the good. These kids think their lives will end if they aren't perfect, but really that will allow them to live more healthy lives. I don't think these are under-prepared kids. Quite the opposite, but they haven't let go of the unrealistic expectations we put on kids.

No, your kid's T10 hasn't. It may not have been as severely affected by grade inflation as Harvard -- few institutions have surrendered their standards as swiftly -- but GPAs everywhere started climbing during the 1970s, and this has only continued.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do any of you actually have a student at Harvard?

I do, but DD doesn’t spend her time complaining about grade inflation… she works her a$$ off, something clearly the stay-at-home, miserable mothers here cannot relate to.

I think that you need to grow thicker skin. (And learn to avoid personal attacks - they aren’t persuasive).

If you are number #1 in anything, everyone will gun for you. Harvard, for better or worse, is seen as the number one US university. Criticism of Harvard is ubiquitous.

Harvard itself has admitted that grade inflation there is a problem. So the critics here don’t seem to be off base.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not the fault of the faculty who are frustrated, or the students who can't cope with rigor. If they were admitted, it's been taken for granted that they have what it takes to succeed with rigorous classes. If a large number of admitted students are trying but can't cope, it is a problem with the admissions process, and admissions officers need to learn to do better to admit students who are academically prepared for a rigorous college education.

Exactly. It's not the students or professors' fault, it's the admission's team for "match-making" so poorly and picking the wrong individuals for the class. Try harder, Harvard AOs. I feel bad for both the students who are struggling and the professors who think they are lacking.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard is outstanding at the graduate level - law, business, medicine, science. A Harvard PhD, JD, MBA, MD is indicative of genuine talent.

But Harvard undergrad these days is different. It's a country club school for the hooked. Harvard undergrad is a networking opportunity, and not much more. As demonstrated by Harvard students who don't go to class and need remedial math and get straight As regardless.

💯

The delta between kids in Harvard’s graduate programs and the ug is the widest ever