Professor won't give me an A+...

[shklorg]

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[pseud0]

 

[pooper6970]

Might as well start applying to the Caribbean mate

 

[LizzyM]

The maximum grade on the AMCAS application is A. All of those A+ grades will be shown as A.
Stop grade grubbing; it is unbecoming.

 

[Shirafune]

The maximum grade on the AMCAS application is A. All of those A+ grades will be shown as A.
Stop grade grubbing; it is unbecoming.

Adcoms don't bother to look at the OT grade? For the purposes of GPA calculation, I can understand using just As for A+s.

And OP, why on earth would you even need to maintain straight A+s? Study less, get involved in other activities, and have more fun in college.

 

[aldol16]

Stop trolling.

 

[Lawpy]

The maximum grade on the AMCAS application is A. All of those A+ grades will be shown as A.
Stop grade grubbing; it is unbecoming.

I like the @Goro policy for dealing with grade grubbing.

I had only a few grade grubbers, I handle them by kicking them out of my office.

 

[Tenk]

Don't take this guy seriously. He's not even real.

 

[shklorg]

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[Gurby]

Heh, I know. I know. I have just heard that some schools will look at particular classes to see if you got an A or an A+, and organic chemistry is one of those. I'm not sure if that applies to the lab too.

 

[pseud0]

Most universities don't even have the grade "A+" as far as I know. The max grade at both my post bacc and undergrad was an A.

 

[idontwatchgreysanatomy]

How on earth is it grade grubbing? I legitimately have a 99% before the curve, and I am not asking for anything to be considered right that is wrong. It just doesn't seem fair to suddenly announce that no fractional grades will be given, right before the grades are going to be published.

Clearly they removed outliers from the curve. This doesn't entitle you to a higher grade because someone else's grade was curved. You earned an A, move on.

 

[shklorg]

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[Shirafune]

See, I would, except it was this very professor who told me that I needed to get an A+ in his lecture class in order for him to write a letter of recommendation for medical schools, which I did. Now, he's giving me an A in the lab class despite scoring a 99% without any whining, extra credit, or corrections. I know it seems trivial, but it just feels like cognitive dissonance from what he drilled into me over the last semester. I killed myself to do perfectly in this class.

Just because you got an A as opposed to the A+ doesn't change the fact that you ended up with a 99% in the class. Surely your professor understands that. Asking for an A+ when the professor has already said there would be no fractional grades is a surefire way to lose that LOR. If you didn't annoy him and he cites your A (not A+) as a reason for not writing your LOR, then he's either too flippant for you to want a LOR from or he's declining your LOR request in a very odd, roundabout way.

 

[shklorg]

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[OchemOficionado]

See, I would, except it was this very professor who told me that I needed to get an A+ in his lecture class in order for him to write a letter of recommendation for medical schools, which I did. Now, he's giving me an A in the lab class despite scoring a 99% without any whining, extra credit, or corrections. I know it seems trivial, but it just feels like cognitive dissonance from what he drilled into me over the last semester. I killed myself to do perfectly in this class.

What does your syllabus say? That's a legal document (does it say professor has the right to change xyz throughout the course?)

At the end of the day, I don't see why they wouldn't still write you a letter. I wouldn't expect it to be stellar if you bih and moan in their ear this much though.

 

[Shirafune]

It doesn't say anything about fractional grading. Yeah, you're probably right. I'll probably just go see him, but won't even mention the grade now. I'm thinking now it might be some kind of miscommunication from the TA. Hopefully he just mentions it, if not, I'll just suck it up.

Is there a phrase that says something like "Professor XYZ reserves the right to adjust the grading scheme throughout the course." If it says something like "Grades are final and will be determined by the rough cutoffs given below," then you could talk to his department chair. This is of course a stupid, stupid idea. No reason to burn bridges over A vs A+.

Just keep talking to him as you normally would and ask if he would be willing to write a strong LOR, should you need it.

 

[OchemOficionado]

It doesn't say anything about fractional grading. Yeah, you're probably right. I'll probably just go see him, but won't even mention the grade now. I'm thinking now it might be some kind of miscommunication from the TA. Hopefully he just mentions it, if not, I'll just deal with it.

I'm surprised your syllabus doesn't include the grading scale. I thought that was standard as it can vary from course to course. I hated my courses where 95%+ was an A and 94% was a B. I didn't have the option of a + very often.

 

[WhittyPsyche]

Just when I thought I couldn't roll my eyes any harder... I have surpassed my expectations whoot!


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[jqueb29]

A+ is for high schoolers. After that, nobody cares.

 

[DokterMom]

See, I would, except it was this very professor who told me that I needed to get an A+ in his lecture class in order for him to write a letter of recommendation for medical schools, which I did. Now, he's giving me an A in the lab class despite scoring a 99% without any whining, extra credit, or corrections. I know it seems trivial, but it just feels like cognitive dissonance from what he drilled into me over the last semester. I killed myself to do perfectly in this class.

If you have only spoken to the TA about your grade once and have not whined to the prof or gone over his/her head, then rest assured that s/he knows and remembers who it was that blew away the curve, missing '+' notwithstanding.

I can understand your frustration, but view your situation as an opportunity to handle your disappointment stoically and professionally and do not grade grub with your professor. Don't brown-nose either. But do stop by his /her office (once) to say how much you enjoyed the class, how much you learned, that you would welcome the opportunity to work in his/her lab and that you hope your performance would still support a LOR from him/her in the future. Then watch and listen --

 

[md-2020]

Sounds to me like he really doesn't want to write you that letter of recommendation...


Also as has already been mentioned who cares since AMCAS is going to calculate an A+ as a 4.0 anyways?

 

[NotYou20]

I didn't think a+s existed past middle school. U in middle school opie?

 

[Gurby]

If you have only spoken to the TA about your grade once and have not whined to the prof or gone over his/her head, then rest assured that s/he knows and remembers who it was that blew away the curve, missing '+' notwithstanding.

I can understand your frustration, but view your situation as an opportunity to handle your disappointment stoically and professionally and do not grade grub with your professor. Don't brown-nose either. But do stop by his /her office (once) to say how much you enjoyed the class, how much you learned, that you would welcome the opportunity to work in his/her lab and that you hope your performance would still support a LOR from him/her in the future. Then watch and listen --

This is how the game is played. DokterMom gets an A+. OP didn't realize that there even was a game, which is probably where this situation comes from in the first place.

 

[aldol16]

At my school we just go by A/AB/B/BC... (4.0/3.5/3.0/2.5...). Is an A- at a school like OP's still a 4.0?

That really sucks for you. There's no way of distinguishing "borderline" As. If you have a tendency to be just short of the A mark, that grading scheme could really hurt your GPA. Conversely, if you happen to be just over the B mark, then that would help you out.

 

[jw3600]

What does your syllabus say? That's a legal document

Smh. Are you for real?

 

[redferrari]

Forgive me if this is not the appropriate place to post this question, but I wasn't sure where else to ask for advice.

The finals have been graded in my organic chemistry lab, and the professor made the decision not to give any fractional grades. I'm not sure if it's a huge deal or not, but I have an A+ in every other class, and just an A in organic chemistry lab.

I'm feeling very frustrated because I have a 99% in the class, where the average grade is a 62%. My lab partner got a 72% on her final, and I got a 100%, and we're both getting an "A" after the curve.

I mentioned to the TA that since there is such a huge curve, if they wouldn't mind just giving me the fractional grade A+, and he said no.

Is this a big deal or not? It seems inherently unfair since I've been scoring 25+ points higher on everything compared to the students around me, and several of them are getting A's too.

Not getting an A+ is lethal. I mean, how many people with 3.95 GPA's do you hear about that get into med school? My guess is not that many.

*Non-sarcastic advice: Go have a stiff drink. You aced o chem lab, and seem well on your way. No school in the history of ever has ever discriminated an A+ vs. an A.

 

[Turkishking]

Medical schools don't care if you got an A+! Maybe if you're trying to be valedictorian at your college, then yes it matters. But in terms of medical school, it doesn't matter.

 

[kratos3624]

Medical schools don't care if you got an A+ or A! Maybe if you're trying to be valedictorian at your college, then yes it matters. But in terms of medical school, it doesn't matter.

So even an A does not matter good sir?

 

[Turkishking]

So even an A does not matter good sir?

An A does matter. However, at any given course an A can be set at a standard value. For instance, in my gen chem 1 class, an A was set a 94. However, an A+ is greater than 96, in some schools. In this case, medical schools do not distinguish A or A+. They only look at an A

 

[OchemOficionado]

Smh. Are you for real?

Too much? Did I go too far? My badly, lol.

 

[jw3600]

Too much? Did I go too far? My badly, lol.

Maybe a little lol. You're right in that there should be a syllabus and it should be honored but professors make changes all the time. It's well within their job description. No one is going to court over syallbus (syallbi?) content.

 

[aldol16]

Maybe a little lol. You're right in that there should be a syllabus and it should be honored but professors make changes all the time. It's well within their job description. No one is going to court over syallbus (syallbi?) content.

You'd be surprised.

http://iacis.org/iis/2013/201_iis_2013_215-223.pdf

 

[doctorleospaceman]

Wait, was this thread not actually a satire?

 

[piii]

If I was interviewing you at my school, and I knew this was something you were complaining about, I throw your app in the trash

 

[Danny L]

If I was interviewing you at my school, and I knew this was something you were complaining about, I throw your app in the trash

Careful dude, wouldn't want you to cut yourself with all that edge

 

[hellocakes]

This is so weird. Why even care about what other people get? Just worry about yourself. Be fortunate that you have an A and not anything less.


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[JB50]

OPie complains that doesn't have an A+, yet has less than 100% in the class. You dun goofed opie, ya dun goofed on logic.

 

[Dream_big]

You must not be very fun to be around, are you?
I'm joking if you're joking.

 

[Hopeful_vet]

At my school we just go by A/AB/B/BC... (4.0/3.5/3.0/2.5...). Is an A- at a school like OP's still a 4.0?

An A- is usually 3.7 while a B+ is 3.3


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[mmm_cats]

That's not something that I had considered. It's really strange, because I am on very good terms with him, heck he even said I can work in his lab. I generally don't discuss things like grades with him, which is obviously why I came to the forums for advice before going to him to bother him.

The best path from here is probably just go up to his office and chat about something tangentially related and just see if I can get some kind of clarification on where we stand.

No, just ask for an lor when the time comes. If he declines due to the a+ bs you make insulting posters and put them across the science buildings.

 

[JB50]

not sure why this is quoted lol sorry mmm cats

"To whom it may concern,

This student renordw is intelligent, even showing signs of being bright. However, (insert sentences about being totally anal about percentage points on transcripts, inability to understand how grading curves work, lack of ability to cope with how grading systems work at an educational level higher than middle school, general other undesirables, and emotional breakdowns when she is put at the same level as her peers).

Renordw's unfortunate professor"

 

[samac]

You need to take a breath.
And please tell me you haven't complained to your peers. If you complained about not getting an A+ in my undergrad I don't think anyone of us would have talked to you. That's just a little bit petty.
Get your straight A's rock it and don't be so anal about everything. We don't like the gunners in medical school.

 

[piii]

Careful dude, wouldn't want you to cut yourself with all that edge

I wasn't being edgy, 3/10 on the insult

 

[Hospitalized]

SDN is so unbelievably easy to troll

 

[idontwatchgreysanatomy]

See, I would, except it was this very professor who told me that I needed to get an A+ in his lecture class in order for him to write a letter of recommendation for medical schools, which I did. Now, he's giving me an A in the lab class despite scoring a 99% without any whining, extra credit, or corrections. I know it seems trivial, but it just feels like cognitive dissonance from what he drilled into me over the last semester. I killed myself to do perfectly in this class.

Professor doesn't give fractional grades...
Professor won't write LOR unless you get A+
Take the hint bro