Curved grading vs. having cutoffs

[blankguy]

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What are the pros and cons of grading on a curve vs. having a cutoff for grades(certain percentage of points will get you an A, etc..)?

I just checked the syllabus of Harvard extension school courses like chemistry and organic chemistry. Neither are graded on a curve. This seems to be consistent with people saying that harvard is very competitive. If it were curved its going to be more of a distraction rather than motivation to learn.

 

[rsweeney]

Blankguy,
what University do you go to and what year are you in---just curious? A lot of schools grade on a curve, whether a syllabus may say it or not. Per class, it is really at the professors' discretion to curve (however the institutional big dogs may have a say in whether they are allowed to make that decision, but I don't know). When they say the teacher grades on a curve it means that he/she takes all the grades, on an exam or final grades, and analyzes the distribution on a bell curve. Generally, the student who gets the highest grade screws it all up because the teacher can only curve based on the remaining points it takes the "top" student to get to a 100. Or, if the professor is a real dick, then he/she will look at the average on the curve and say it is a "C", even if the average is classified as an "A" numerically---we have all experienced the latter and know how much it blows😡 The only real advantage of a curve comes either when you are at the lower extreme or upper extreme on the bell curve---those in the middle are usually doomed. As you see, it is all relative, though. If "curving" is correlated to competitiveness, then all schools would be considered competitive. However, it not an institutional thing from what I have experienced, but rather professor oriented. Generally, however, the pre-reqs. for professional schools are not curved, as mine were not, to keep it fair. If I recall, did you say you are going to be (or just was) a fresman in undergrad, and that you are applying to dental school early? I apoligize if I am incorrect. If so, the curve factor per class won't really affect you, right?

-Richard

 

[blankguy]

Nope. I graduated from college sometime ago. Unfortunately I didn't really get an understanding of this while in college(stupid huh?). I am about to embark of taking the prereqs for dental.😳

 

[w3chen99]

in undergrad, the average score for the class was an 80% (B-). A C average seems kind of harsh.

The good thing about curves is that if the rest of the class stinks it up and you get one of the top scores, there is the possibility that it can bring up your grade tremendously. However, it is true how being in the middle of the pack isn't that great.