Private Universities VS Public Universities

[tennisball80]

So I just thought something today when I woke up as a neurotic premed. I had a dream about doing med school application and seeing my GPA as 3.5 and a 33 MCAT. So guys, I just thought about grade inflation in the U.S

Does the more prestigious private universities tend to give better grades than a small public university ? I mean, I am going to a small public university. Will I receive higher GPA if I went to a private one ?


Source of information: http://gradeinflation.com/

For example, in Harvard the average GPA is 3.48. In University of Oklahoma, the GPA is 3.04 the same year.

Update 1: I am going to a small state university in Oklahoma. How do you guys think of the grading issues there ?

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[xnfs93hy]

No.

 

[dragonfly99]

No. Maybe the opposite.
Some private universities grade inflate, but so do a lot of the public ones. It's more university-specific, than one particular type of school that does it.

 

[CScull]

It depends on the difficulty of the school. If you were comparing Vanderbilt to a small public school it would actually be a lot tougher to make good grades. Your stats from Harvard will probably be a tad skewed as the students of Harvard tend to excel more than those of a state school. However if you were comparing a less competitive school it might be a little more 'inflated'... which colleges are you looking at?

 

[rubybird]

yeah I think it depends on the school--I hear Harvard is notorious for grade inflation, while other private schools like Swarthmore are not. Smaller schools like Harvard might have higher average GPAs because they have smaller classes. The larger a program, the more grades are going to approximate a Bell-curve. You can't grade on a curve with 15 smart students--at least not justly.

 

[tennisball80]

I am going to a small state university in Oklahoma. How do you guys think of the grading issues there ?

 

[yanorglu]

It really comes down to a school-by-school basis, try asking around. I heard a lot of Boston University students are gnawing on broken glass over their school's grade deflation practices.

 

[CScull]

I am going to a small state university in Oklahoma. How do you guys think of the grading issues there ?

It probably won't be too bad. The good thing about small state universities is that they have the same feel of a private school, with smaller classes and more individual attention, but are much less expensive than private. The professors might not be as talented but your tests might be a little easier than if you went to a larger state university.

 

[Salvorix]

It really comes down to a school-by-school basis, try asking around. I heard a lot of Boston University students are gnawing on broken glass over their school's grade deflation practices.

I've heard that grade deflation is just a rumor at BU but I haven't ever attended so I guess I can't tell you for sure.

I think in general tennis grade inflation is more dependent on the specific school versus whether or not the school is public or private.

 

[Algophiliac]

I think it's pretty school-specific, but I've heard that grade inflation and deflation are generally more prevalent in private schools. JHU seems to get the worst grade deflation rumors at my high school, as well as some horrid 'malignant competition' rumors. Somebody dispel these for my peace of mind.

Oh wow, I checked out that source you posted...hmmmm, maybe there is a definite trend. At any rate, check online or with people you know who have attended that particular school if you want more accurate information. Consider that there may also be varying trends between different schools/majors within the university.

 

[glowworm]

the link you posted was way too long so i didn't read it. but here's my theory. * the people at harvard are insanely smart and driven. they will do well in a school no matter what.
but the people in state schools are often...not so smart. for instance, in OK, if you make a certain GPA, class rank, etc., and your parents have an income of under a certain amount, you get the first two years of college free (for state residents going to instate public colleges.) So a certain portion of people are going to college so they can party all week and have an excuse not to get a job. naturally, since they aren't really intending to learn anything, their grades suck. this, I think, really drags down the GPA averages at these schools. for instance, at our (future) college, they accepted all but one person last year. not all of those people are ambitious rocket scientists, and i think it is this bottom, oh, idk, 10% that really screws up the gpa averages.

i'm not saying gpa de/inflation doesn't occur-- i really don't know. i just think the caliber of students also plays a factor.


*these theories are solely based on rumors, speculation, and cherry-picked data.

 

[CScull]

I would choose whichever school suits your wants/needs best and not worry so much about grade inflation. No matter where you go you'll have tough professors and easier ones...

 

[Maygyver]

You will probably hate this response but, if you study hard and focus, then you won't need grade inflation. Find a school you enjoy and you will enjoy going to class and studying. After you get acclimated, it's just up to you as far as how well you do in classes. Don't worry about inflation.

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

i'm not saying gpa de/inflation doesn't occur-- i really don't know. i just think the caliber of students also plays a factor.


*these theories are solely based on rumors, speculation, and cherry-picked data.

yes, Harvard's acceptance rate undergrad is.. what 12% or so? Versus my state school, when I'd applied if you were instate, it was maybe 60%. Argument I'd heard from top level schools is that if they accept the best and brightest, should they not give fewer C's than a school (like my post-bacc) that accepts literally EVERY SINGLE instate applicant who is minimally qualified (graduated high school)

I can attest to the difficulty of going from an OK school to a top grad program -- all of a sudden the competition is on a different caliber and it's not a slam dunk to nail every exam, project, etc.

my suggestion is to go to the best school that you can get into (and afford) as they often offer better teachers, resources, and classmates better matched to your level, and therefore you're likely to learn more in that type of environment.

 

[nerv12]

tennis you confuse me sometimes! I thought you are from Canada?? why are you going to a university in Oklahoma? lol

 

[CScull]

Because Oklahoma is where awesome people go?

 

[tennisball80]

tennis you confuse me sometimes! I thought you are from Canada?? why are you going to a university in Oklahoma? lol

I am going to get some Southern Chicks. Canadian chicks are boring already. Bye. See you Canada. Best of luck for me in Oklahoma.

You wanna know the real reasons ? PM me for $10 +GST+PST. Now on sell ebay.com, "The reasons Tennisball80 is going to Oklahoma."

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P.S: Thank you for all of your comments. I appreciate them greatly.

 

[glowworm]

Because Oklahoma is where awesome people go?

 

[CScull]

Haha! I totally forgot you live their Glow! Well now we even have data to back up our hypothesis!!