p/f system

[freedyx3]

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Hi all,

Just a quick question for anyone who has experience. If you goto a school is the p/f system (Columbia, Harvard, etc) does it mean that when you apply to speciality programs you are only picked based on your board scores and extracurr? If this is the case isn't it a better idea to goto a p/f system school cause then you just need to do well on boards and not worry too much bout class ranking to get into a specialty program?



thanks

 

[jchen8]

i have read somewhere in this forum that they still rank even though its p/f. correct me please if i am wrong.

 

[KMF]

My understanding of it was that Columbia and Penn rank their top 10 students (meaning everyone is ranked if they come up with those numbers - however, they don't publish your rank if you are not top 10 when you are applying to specialty programs. I think that Harvard doesn't rank at all, but not sure if there's some sort of unpubished rank there as well.

I think when you go to a p/f school, your board schools definitely are important, but probably your letters of recommendation play a more integral role in your application to specialty programs.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I'm of the opinion that there is always a rank and grade system, regardless of the formal system given to you on your report card. Just because the school is P/F doesn't mean the school doesn't give out As Bs and Cs still--it just might be that you never see them.

Further, many P/F systems are nothing more than HP/P/F which is nothing more than A/B/F which is just as traditional as apple pie.

Some of the latest methods are just Honors Pass, High Pass, Pass, Fail. Hmmmm, sounds like A, B, C, F to me!

 

[larryt]

Originally posted by ItsGavinC

Some of the latest methods are just Honors Pass, High Pass, Pass, Fail. Hmmmm, sounds like A, B, C, F to me!

ah... wow.. those dental schools are getting more creative....

 

[freedyx3]

Well I think the point is that if a school is graded based on P/F then the students can't be ranked.

 

[jjdaddy]

I heard they use the P/F system to ease the competition among students. If they still rank them, then what's the point?

 

[ItsGavinC]

Originally posted by freedyx3
Well I think the point is that if a school is graded based on P/F then the students can't be ranked.

But my point is that students are always ranked, regardless of what faculty tells you or what the report card says or what the Dean says.

Always. The data may not be used, but rest assured that SOMEBODY will find it and make it an issue.

 

[ShawnOne]

This does not make sense to me. If no grades are given, then what do they rank you by? weight?

 

[ItsGavinC]

Originally posted by ShawnOne
This does not make sense to me. If no grades are given, then what do they rank you by? weight?

LOL! I hear ya. No, from what I've heard (and it seems to make sense) the grades aren't given to students, but that doesn't mean they aren't ranked, or can't easily be ranked in 2-3 minutes using Excel.

After all, in order to determine Passing or Failing, the exams are graded and the instructors have the percentages. They know who did the best and who did the worst. In order to determine passing/failing at the end of the semester, SOME sort of percentage must be attained.

So, the only step that is missing is actually conveying those total percentages to the students. Undoubtedly some students ask their deans for their ranking, are given their total percentages, and then spread the gossip like wildfire throughout the class.

 

[dinonuggets]

Make no mistake about it, schools rank their students. One of the reason for the pass/fail system (as explained to me by UCLA chair) is to reduce the amount of negative competition (ie, cut-throat gunners who will do whatever they can to get a foot up on the competition)...Still, the schools must have a way of ranking their students for specialty placement (this also per UCLA chair)....