Plus but no minus grading system

[ikon]

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The University I attend does not have the minus grading system...
They use A,B+,B,C+,C etc with the GPA weights being 4.0, 3.5,3.0,2.5,2.0 respectively.

I was wondering how the AMCAS weighs the grades when calculating your GPA? Do they use their own standards where a B+ would =3.3, or do they use the same system used by your school? Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[chessknt]

They use their system.

 

[dArroway]

They use their system.

that isn't ambiguous...

 

[fero]

I have the same system. It calculated mine the same way the school did.

 

[chessknt]

Sorry I meant AMCAS will use their system, or at least that is what i gathered after reading the manual. It seems like that is pretty bull**** for AMCAS to change the rules for an institution that decides to make the grading system intrinsically easier than the standard +/- system AND give them 0.5 for a + instead of 0.3.

 

[ikon]

Sorry I meant AMCAS will use their system, or at least that is what i gathered after reading the manual. It seems like that is pretty bull**** for AMCAS to change the rules for an institution that decides to make the grading system intrinsically easier than the standard +/- system AND give them 0.5 for a + instead of 0.3.

No it isn't not "intrinsically easier", it works both ways....I've barely gotten B+'s in classes that would ultimately be an A- elsewhere.... For example, I needed a 94 in a physics lab, instead I had a 93.something and ended up with a with B+ (3.5)....Last time I checked 3.7>3.5, or 3.3 for that matter. Sounds pretty ridiculous to get a 3.3 (for a B+) when there isn't an A- to gauge a more accurate GPA.

They aren't "giving" anyone anything. Essentially AMCAS is taking into account how your school decided to rate your performance in a class.

And I don't think it can be argued that lack of minus grade inflate overall GPAs, especially at a large university. When your in a large pre-req class of 300+ people, an A is an A, no matter how close you are to that A, anything less is a B+--->there is no "middle man" so an A can be that much more sought out. Dunno, but depending on the school it might even make the race for good grades more cutthroat.

 

[Raryn]

Hell, my school has no + or - grades. All As are 4.0, all Bs are 3.0... I still agree that it works both ways. I've missed out on a grade by .6% before, and would have happily taken an extra .3 points that a - grade would get me. Then again, I've barely pulled off some of my As, and I'm quite happy that all of them are equal.

 

[186321]

Hell, my school has no + or - grades. All As are 4.0, all Bs are 3.0... I still agree that it works both ways. I've missed out on a grade by .6% before, and would have happily taken an extra .3 points that a - grade would get me. Then again, I've barely pulled off some of my As, and I'm quite happy that all of them are equal.

I agree with you man. I can't believe that guy is upset because he got a 3.3 for a B. We didn't have +/- either. Freshman year I had an 89.3 average in chemistry... B = 3.0. It sucks but its the way the system works. Lastly, a + only system appears to extremely favor the students and it seems as if the school is coddling their students.

 

[ikon]

I've have one person say yes AMCAS uses their own system, and one saying no, that AMCAS uses the schools....Does anyone have a definite answer? Debating what system deflates of inflates grades is simply deviating from the ultimate question.

 

[Steeler7588]

Lastly, a + only system appears to extremely favor the students and it seems as if the school is coddling their students.

How does it "coddle" the students anymore than the +/- system? While the B+ may be higher in value at my school than at a +/- school, I could just miss an A and get a 3.5 while others will get 3.7s. It could also work out that for a certain grade, I get an A while someone on the +/- system gets an A-. It works both ways.

 

[flip26]

I've have one person say yes AMCAS uses their own system, and one saying no, that AMCAS uses the schools....Does anyone have a definite answer? Debating what system deflates of inflates grades is simply deviating from the ultimate question.

Read the AMCAS PDF - it explains how it deals with various grading schemes.

 

[LovelyMD]

See this link, which is the 2009 AMCAS grade conversion guide:

http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2009conversionguide.pdf

It appears that AMCAS will convert your grades with A =4.0, B+ =3.5, B =3.0, etc. just as you described.

 

[armybound]

they use the same system your school uses. my school also uses + only, +0.5 for it.

 

[chessknt]

How does it "coddle" the students anymore than the +/- system? While the B+ may be higher in value at my school than at a +/- school, I could just miss an A and get a 3.5 while others will get 3.7s. It could also work out that for a certain grade, I get an A while someone on the +/- system gets an A-. It works both ways.

It removes that distinction though, so for people who should be getting B+s, which is probably quite a few, it gives them a real edge over B+ people at other schools. Sucks for A- people though. What a stupid system.

 

[supertrooper66]

How does it "coddle" the students anymore than the +/- system? While the B+ may be higher in value at my school than at a +/- school, I could just miss an A and get a 3.5 while others will get 3.7s. It could also work out that for a certain grade, I get an A while someone on the +/- system gets an A-. It works both ways.

you seriously don't understand? a +/- system is about the same as no +/-'s in the end since the + or - usually balance out. if you ONLY have a + system, then OF COURSE it inflates your gpa. think about it...

if you get an A, you get a 4.0
if you get an A-, you get a 4.0
if you get a B+, you get a 3.5
if you get a B or B-, you get a 3.0

now for my school where there is no +/-,
if I get an A or A-, i get a 4.0
if I get a B+, B, or B-, I get a 3.0
there is no in between

if a school has +/- system,
A=4.0
A-=3.7
B+=3.3
B=3.0
the only way the +/- system IS fair is if you have the - to go along with the + to balance it out. you're only getting the benefit of the system if you have no minuses! A and A-s give you 4.0 AND you get a higher grade of 3.5 (higher than the 3.3 you get from a B+ in a +/- system) for a B+! unfair. at my school, you'd also get a 4.0 for A and A-s, but you'd be getting a 3.0 for your B+s! your school definitely inflates your gpas to give you all "higher" gpas haha. good thing amcas doesn't fall for it 😉

to answer your question, though, AMCAS won't let you get away with your cheap system. go to their website and they explain the different grading schemes they follow. a + only system definitely isn't listed.

 

[Steeler7588]

if you get an A, you get a 4.0
if you get an A-, you get a 4.0
if you get a B+, you get a 3.5
if you get a B or B-, you get a 3.0

That's only assuming the grade distribution is exactly equal in both systems. An A in the organic lab at my school is 93+. If I get a 92, I get a B+. I'm going to guess that at some other schools, a 93 would be an A-. Correct me if that guess is unreasonable. I fully admit that some students at my school who get As are getting grades that would be A-s at other schools, but under certain grading policies students who just miss As and get B+s would be getting A-s at other schools too. Professors may even be adjusting so that B+ may be A-/B+ on the +/- scale, C+ = B-/C+, etc. so that it's also balanced out to .5. In fact, that looks like exactly what my organic grading system is doing.

good thing amcas doesn't fall for it 😉

to answer your question, though, AMCAS won't let you get away with your cheap system. go to their website and they explain the different grading schemes they follow. a + only system definitely isn't listed.

What? Have you looked at their grading systems in the given link? Hint: look at "Grading System Type: Halfstep Grades".

 

[Fp02c]

HOld on... i went to UF which has the .5 system. A =4, B+=3.5. I read the PDF and it has AB grades as 3.5. So what do i do? THis would be wonderful for me if they infact did use the schools grading system and let my b+'s be 3.5

 

[Steeler7588]

HOld on... i went to UF which has the .5 system. A =4, B+=3.5. I read the PDF and it has AB grades as 3.5. So what do i do? THis would be wonderful for me if they infact did use the schools grading system and let my b+'s be 3.5

If your school's grading system is A/B+/B/C+/C/D+/D/F, then your AMCAS GPA will be the same GPA that is on your Florida transcript (unless you have other schools' grades coming into play, etc.).

 

[Fp02c]

I went to uf but took classes at FSU and am now doing my postbac there. I called and they said that they do use ur schools systems so that my b+ from FSU are different than my B+ at UF since at uf we only use the + system

 

[thoffen]

You guys bickering over whether one grading system is advantageous over another is ridiculous -- as if every professor for every class at every school gives the same numerical grade for the same performance for the same class with the same curriculum taught the same way. News flash: every school is different from each other in just about every conceivable way.

 

[supertrooper66]

You guys bickering over whether one grading system is advantageous over another is ridiculous -- as if every professor for every class at every school gives the same numerical grade for the same performance for the same class with the same curriculum taught the same way. News flash: every school is different from each other in just about every conceivable way.

k, you're right. can't really compare 2 schools unless you've been to both

 

[supertrooper66]

That's only assuming the grade distribution is exactly equal in both systems. An A in the organic lab at my school is 93+. If I get a 92, I get a B+. I'm going to guess that at some other schools, a 93 would be an A-. Correct me if that guess is unreasonable. I fully admit that some students at my school who get As are getting grades that would be A-s at other schools, but under certain grading policies students who just miss As and get B+s would be getting A-s at other schools too. Professors may even be adjusting so that B+ may be A-/B+ on the +/- scale, C+ = B-/C+, etc. so that it's also balanced out to .5. In fact, that looks like exactly what my organic grading system is doing.

oh, that'd suck then haha. we don't have any kind of +/- system but 90+ is an A, 80-89 is a B, and so forth. 93+ for an A...no thanks! i'm sure your classes are a lil bit easier, tho, also in order to make it so ppl can get 93+. most of my classes here are extremely hard to get that strong of an (93+). you can get As for sure but you usually have between 90 and 93 to be hoenst. there are some exceptions, but yeah, maybe your teachers curve a bit more so there will be more 93+ grades? i just know here if the teachers had your system and kept their grading the sameway, there were be nothing close to a 4.0 by anyone haha

 

[ikon]

you seriously don't understand? a +/- system is about the same as no +/-'s in the end since the + or - usually balance out. if you ONLY have a + system, then OF COURSE it inflates your gpa. think about it...

if you get an A, you get a 4.0
if you get an A-, you get a 4.0
if you get a B+, you get a 3.5
if you get a B or B-, you get a 3.0

now for my school where there is no +/-,
if I get an A or A-, i get a 4.0
if I get a B+, B, or B-, I get a 3.0
there is no in between

if a school has +/- system,
A=4.0
A-=3.7
B+=3.3
B=3.0
the only way the +/- system IS fair is if you have the - to go along with the + to balance it out. you're only getting the benefit of the system if you have no minuses! A and A-s give you 4.0 AND you get a higher grade of 3.5 (higher than the 3.3 you get from a B+ in a +/- system) for a B+! unfair. at my school, you'd also get a 4.0 for A and A-s, but you'd be getting a 3.0 for your B+s! your school definitely inflates your gpas to give you all "higher" gpas haha. good thing amcas doesn't fall for it 😉

to answer your question, though, AMCAS won't let you get away with your cheap system. go to their website and they explain the different grading schemes they follow. a + only system definitely isn't listed.

If your indeed are saying what it seems ......No, an A- is never a 4.0....and a theoretical "A-" is a actually a B+ in a system w/only plus...likewise your B- (3.0 as you say) is a C+(2.5).........in most cases (at least in my opinion) both systems work themselves out in the end...

they use the same system your school uses. my school also uses + only, +0.5 for it.

See this link, which is the 2009 AMCAS grade conversion guide:

http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2009conversionguide.pdf

It appears that AMCAS will convert your grades with A =4.0, B+ =3.5, B =3.0, etc. just as you described.

thanks thats what I was looking for.