"A/B" Grades at my Undergrad (89-93%) count as a 3.5...

[8Labyrinth8]

At my Undergrad institution, there are "half" grades (AB, BC, etc.) which weigh into a gpa as a 3.5, 2.5 etc. Professors claim this is to help those on the cusp of a grade, but I say thats bullsh*t due to the fact that an AB is anywhere between an 89.0-93.9 in most science classes (which should be A students given the fact that the curve lies way below this, no problem w/ grade inflation here). Me, being a solid student who always messes up on one tiny lab exam or something, usually has a 92-93% final grade in classes. At most other schools, this would be an A, 4.0 in my gpa. So, I am facing a somewhat lower gpa than I would like due to several AB's..... and am wondering if anyone else's institution does this, and if so do you in any way bring it up in your application? Or is it sort-of, just suck it up and tell the next generation of pre-meds to definitly NOT attend that school? Would appreciate your thoughts 🙂

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[JLC]

Wow, i've never heard of that grading system! You should ask amcas. How the school calculates your gpa will most likely be very different than AMCAS

 

[Narmerguy]

So, I am facing a somewhat lower gpa than I would like due to several AB's..... and am wondering if anyone else's institution does this, and if so do you in any way bring it up in your application? Or is it sort-of, just suck it up and tell the next generation of pre-meds to definitly NOT attend that school? Would appreciate your thoughts 🙂

This is no big deal, what's you're describing is basically the A-, b+ system. It's pretty much a suck i up and realize that many schools use this, it's nothing unique to just a few universities. My university uses the same thing. Definately wouldn't bring it up in an application. Sorry pal 🙁

 

[TheGreatHunt]

I attended one of the top 10 largest schools in the nation and we had that grading system as well. It's not that odd... I will say that I transferred in and hated it when I got there though.

 

[Bacchus]

You can find the application supplement online for AMCAS and calculate your GPA. Criticizing your undergrad's grading system in a primary, secondary, or interview would make me have serious reservations about you. School spirit is a big thing and bad mouthing a school is not the way to go. Suck it up, move on, prepare a little bit more.

 

[Kaya12]

You can find the application supplement online for AMCAS and calculate your GPA. Criticizing your undergrad's grading system in a primary, secondary, or interview would make me have serious reservations about you. School spirit is a big thing and bad mouthing a school is not the way to go. Suck it up, move on, prepare a little bit more.

You probably wouldn't have school spirit if you went to my school

 

[RSAgator]

I'm just interested in how amcas calculates those (as in is an A/B an A- or a B+). If it's an A- then it works out for you. Regardless the grading system is pretty similar to most schools (GPA-wise that is, obviously not the grading system itself).

 

[Bacchus]

You probably wouldn't have school spirit if you went to my school

That's fine, but openly bad mouthing your school is not something you want to do. The grading scheme is what it is, do what you need to have it work to your advantage. No excuses.

 

[Kaya12]

That's fine, but openly bad mouthing your school is not something you want to do. The grading scheme is what it is, do what you need to have it work to your advantage. No excuses.

agreed

 

[8Labyrinth8]

Thank you all for the advice. I was not actually planning on bringing this up in any of my applications, but was wondering more if anyone else went to a similar institution, and how it affected them. This has been very helpful, and it seems that this grading system is more of a "norm" than I had expected. Anyways, Cheers! 🙂

 

[p30doc]

most of the science classes at the uni where I did my post bacc didn't have +/- grades, so it was 90-100 = A (4.0), 80-89 = B (3.0) etc, which was good and bad. It really sucked when you got that 89.

 

[mterp45]

At my Undergrad institution, there are "half" grades (AB, BC, etc.) which weigh into a gpa as a 3.5, 2.5 etc. Professors claim this is to help those on the cusp of a grade, but I say thats bullsh*t due to the fact that an AB is anywhere between an 89.0-93.9 in most science classes (which should be A students given the fact that the curve lies way below this, no problem w/ grade inflation here). Me, being a solid student who always messes up on one tiny lab exam or something, usually has a 92-93% final grade in classes. At most other schools, this would be an A, 4.0 in my gpa. So, I am facing a somewhat lower gpa than I would like due to several AB's..... and am wondering if anyone else's institution does this, and if so do you in any way bring it up in your application? Or is it sort-of, just suck it up and tell the next generation of pre-meds to definitly NOT attend that school? Would appreciate your thoughts 🙂

Remind me never to send my future kids to one of those AB system schools, that's horrible. But to answer your first question, No I would mention anything.

 

[Raryn]

A/AB/B/BC/C/CD is actually one of the grading systems AMCAS talks about in their PDF. I think they'll calculate it just like the OP's school...

 

[bluesmd]

this is just like any school that has A/A-/B+/B- ... at my school A=4.0= 95%, A-=3.7=90%, B+=3.3=85% (roughly, depending on the teacher). many schools do this. mentioning it probably won't help you application, it might even hurt it, it sucks but there is nothing you can do abou it

 

[RSAgator]

Remind me never to send my future kids to one of those AB system schools, that's horrible. But to answer your first question, No I would mention anything.

as if you weren't already planning to send them off to Yale so that they could continue your fine family tradition

 

[8Labyrinth8]

this is just like any school that has A/A-/B+/B- ... at my school A=4.0= 95%, A-=3.7=90%, B+=3.3=85% (roughly, depending on the teacher). many schools do this. mentioning it probably won't help you application, it might even hurt it, it sucks but there is nothing you can do abou it

But herein lies the problem... its not like these schools. It is one thing to get a 93% and have an A- (counts as a 3.7). It is quite another to get a 93% as an AB (counts as a 3.5)... 3.5 drags grades down way more than a 3.7.... Plus, if you have an ~85% you get a B (3.0) not a B+, unless you have an 89% (which is then also 3.5). So the only people who benefit are that tiny tiny portion of people who get an exact 89%... shenanagans

 

[AlanAlanine]

lol @ the crazy yale guy. crazy fortunate, that is.

as if you weren't already planning to send them off to Yale so that they could continue your fine family tradition

and to the OP, there have been many before you that attended schools with similar grading systems and maintained high GPAs. there are a lot of factors that go into grades -- maybe your classes are easier than those at some other schools.

 

[bluesmd]

Plus, if you have an ~85% you get a B (3.0) not a B+, unless you have an 89% (which is then also 3.5)

this is definitely not true at my school. our b+ = 3.3. and 85% really is a b+ at my school. maybe the systems are different but i think it just depends on the school. i was just trying to show the op that there are many different grading systems.