Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

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06/07/2025 10:31

Subject: Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

quote

Anonymous

Right. So grades are *less* inflated.

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06/07/2025 10:37

Subject: Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:This is nonsense. Grade deflation? In math/science classes the answer is wrong or right. It isn’t subjective. In classes like history and English I can see how it might be a little more complicated because writing style and how well someone communicates is tough to grade. But I never understand why people include STEM classes when discussing how difficult it is to achieve high marks.

There absolutely a way to do grade deflation in STEM. In many STEM subjects, but especially math, all that is needed is to add 2, 5, 10 or more problems/questions that deal with material not yet covered in class but that can be said “logically flow” from that things that were. My kids get that on every STEM class that take. The classes are hard enough but when you throw PhD level questions on top, 96s become 82s very quickly.

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06/07/2025 10:38

Subject: Re:Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:STA. Kids with perfect SATs routinely can’t clear an A in many classes.

Lazy kids.

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06/07/2025 10:39

Subject: Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell.

The English and History Departments’ grading is especially ridiculous! Math 1 to 4 (particularly 3 & 4) is equally ridiculous, and Chem 1A is pure, unadulterated nonsense.

Sidwell parent from 3 years ago. This PP nailed it. Obv I can’t compare to other schools my kids didn’t attend but very tough, honest grading is very real at Sidwell.

My kid and all of their close friends at Sidwell are finding grading curves much kinder at their current colleges, which include Brown, Yale, Vandy, Cornell, Swarthmore. The possible exception is Chicago. Not that these ^^ schools don’t ask a lot of questions- they do - but if you put in the extensive work then college grades seem higher. My kids friend group is balanced between STEM and humanities majors now fwiw

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06/07/2025 10:41

Subject: Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

quote

Anonymous

For most of us, A=excellent, B=good, and C=satisfactory. In DCUM land, A=excellent/good, B=satisfactory, and C=failure.

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06/07/2025 10:43

Subject: Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell.

The English and History Departments’ grading is especially ridiculous! Math 1 to 4 (particularly 3 & 4) is equally ridiculous, and Chem 1A is pure, unadulterated nonsense.

Sidwell parent from 3 years ago. This PP nailed it. Obv I can’t compare to other schools my kids didn’t attend but very tough, honest grading is very real at Sidwell.

My kid and all of their close friends at Sidwell are finding grading curves much kinder at their current colleges, which include Brown, Yale, Vandy, Cornell, Swarthmore. The possible exception is Chicago. Not that these ^^ schools don’t ask a lot of questions- they do - but if you put in the extensive work then college grades seem higher. My kids friend group is balanced between STEM and humanities majors now fwiw

PP. edit to say these current colleges ask a lot of their students, not questions. My kid is assigned 1000 pages of reading per WEEK some semesters. Which he can do, because Sidwell 🤣

But when he does it and does it really well and better than his current classmates, he doesn’t always get a B because the DSA female must always be given the lone A in that class

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06/07/2025 10:46

Subject: Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

quote

Exorciststeps
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Joined: 05/24/2025 18:00
Messages: 6
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Anonymous wrote:There absolutely a way to do grade deflation in STEM. In many STEM subjects, but especially math, all that is needed is to add 2, 5, 10 or more problems/questions that deal with material not yet covered in class but that can be said “logically flow” from that things that were. My kids get that on every STEM class that take. The classes are hard enough but when you throw PhD level questions on top, 96s become 82s very quickly.

PhD level questions? Pull the other one...

profile p.m.

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06/07/2025 10:50

Subject: Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:This is nonsense. Grade deflation? In math/science classes the answer is wrong or right. It isn’t subjective. In classes like history and English I can see how it might be a little more complicated because writing style and how well someone communicates is tough to grade. But I never understand why people include STEM classes when discussing how difficult it is to achieve high marks.

Did you not attend college yourself? Even in STEM - actually especially in pre-med and engineering STEM — colleges curve the class. Your objectively correct 84% othe problems might net you a low B.

In my STEM program, 75% is an automatic failing grade and you get zero credit. You literally have to the start the class progression sequence over and most just drop out.

Read: getting 3 out of 4 problems objectively correct on your final means you’re out of the program. It’s not a C, it’s a different life path.

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06/07/2025 10:54

Subject: Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

quote

Anonymous

Exorciststeps wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There absolutely a way to do grade deflation in STEM. In many STEM subjects, but especially math, all that is needed is to add 2, 5, 10 or more problems/questions that deal with material not yet covered in class but that can be said “logically flow” from that things that were. My kids get that on every STEM class that take. The classes are hard enough but when you throw PhD level questions on top, 96s become 82s very quickly.

PhD level questions? Pull the other one...

Am sorry your kids are underserved.

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06/07/2025 10:57

Subject: Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell.

The English and History Departments’ grading is especially ridiculous! Math 1 to 4 (particularly 3 & 4) is equally ridiculous, and Chem 1A is pure, unadulterated nonsense.

Sidwell parent from 3 years ago. This PP nailed it. Obv I can’t compare to other schools my kids didn’t attend but very tough, honest grading is very real at Sidwell.

My kid and all of their close friends at Sidwell are finding grading curves much kinder at their current colleges, which include Brown, Yale, Vandy, Cornell, Swarthmore. The possible exception is Chicago. Not that these ^^ schools don’t ask a lot of questions- they do - but if you put in the extensive work then college grades seem higher. My kids friend group is balanced between STEM and humanities majors now fwiw

Heard from a Sidwell transfer to our school (isn’t totally apples to apples because the kid obviously didn’t do the exact same grades at each school) that our school is slightly tougher on grading. One anecdote but alas.

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06/07/2025 11:32

Subject: Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:St Anselms, but many colleges know this already. Also, a well written school profile will give indications about mean/median GPA to help an unfamiliar college understand.

Ha. Colleges do not know this … well, maybe three colleges know this and we all know what they are. The school doesn’t understand that they need to communicate the rigor of the school to colleges. They think listing the number of APs on the school profile is all that needs to happen.

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06/07/2025 11:34

Subject: Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Anselms, but many colleges know this already. Also, a well written school profile will give indications about mean/median GPA to help an unfamiliar college understand.

Ha. Colleges do not know this … well, maybe three colleges know this and we all know what they are. The school doesn’t understand that they need to communicate the rigor of the school to colleges. They think listing the number of APs on the school profile is all that needs to happen.

While many top schools are dropping APs. Lots of mixed signals and so many kids applying to college.

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06/07/2025 11:58

Subject: Which high schools have the worst grade deflation?

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell.

The English and History Departments’ grading is especially ridiculous! Math 1 to 4 (particularly 3 & 4) is equally ridiculous, and Chem 1A is pure, unadulterated nonsense.

Sidwell parent from 3 years ago. This PP nailed it. Obv I can’t compare to other schools my kids didn’t attend but very tough, honest grading is very real at Sidwell.

My kid and all of their close friends at Sidwell are finding grading curves much kinder at their current colleges, which include Brown, Yale, Vandy, Cornell, Swarthmore. The possible exception is Chicago. Not that these ^^ schools don’t ask a lot of questions- they do - but if you put in the extensive work then college grades seem higher. My kids friend group is balanced between STEM and humanities majors now fwiw

Heard from a Sidwell transfer to our school (isn’t totally apples to apples because the kid obviously didn’t do the exact same grades at each school) that our school is slightly tougher on grading. One anecdote but alas.