Undergrad Schools That Don't Use +/-

[Xypathos]

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I did a cursory search on this but am hoping that some others may have answers/experience.

If your undergraduate school doesn't use +/- grades (A-, B+, etc) -- is this something you need to explain to the school or is it handled in the application process?

Either way, if a school doesn't use +/- and the applicant has a B, is there more wiggle room than say an applicant who came from a school that did use marks but still got a B?

Odd question, I guess, but it doesn't exactly fit in the specific Pre-MD/DO forums.

 

[Scalpels]

I did a cursory search on this but am hoping that some others may have answers/experience.

If your undergraduate school doesn't use +/- grades (A-, B+, etc) -- is this something you need to explain to the school or is it handled in the application process?

Either way, if a school doesn't use +/- and the applicant has a B, is there more wiggle room than say an applicant who came from a school that did use marks but still got a B?

Odd question, I guess, but it doesn't exactly fit in the specific Pre-MD/DO forums.

I don't know how medical schools look at it, but if they're like graduate schools, then it just depends.

For the most part, I think there are still so many schools that use the old system (no +/-), that many interviewers still assume a 3.0 could be anything in the B range (83 or 89). So yes, maybe that does give them more wiggle room.

From what I hear from people, when you make a B in a class, the medical school will ask you about that class. I assume that could be your opportunity to just casually say you made a 89 somewhere in the middle of humbly describing certain difficulties you had in the class, what you learned about yourself, and how you would improve if you had the opportunity to take the class over.

Hope I stayed on topic to your question.

 

[sliceofbread136]

I don't know how medical schools look at it, but if they're like graduate schools, then it just depends.

For the most part, I think there are still so many schools that use the old system (no +/-), that many interviewers still assume a 3.0 could be anything in the B range (83 or 89). So yes, maybe that does give them more wiggle room.

From what I hear from people, when you make a B in a class, the medical school will ask you about that class. I assume that could be your opportunity to just casually say you made a 89 somewhere in the middle of humbly describing certain difficulties you had in the class, what you learned about yourself, and how you would improve if you had the opportunity to take the class over.

Hope I stayed on topic to your question.

Ya this isn't right. They won't really care if you did +/- or not. A B is a B. And they will not ask you about a B. Maybe a C, but not a B.

 

[Xypathos]

Ya this isn't right. They won't really care if you did +/- or not. A B is a B. And they will not ask you about a B. Maybe a C, but not a B.

/ranton

From my experience this is true but the larger concern is that I feel, I guess my point is that schools who don't use +/- place their students at a significant disadvantage when it comes to graduate school in general.

Some schools use a 7 point scale (100-93=A, 92-86=B, etc) while others use a 10 point scale (100-91=A, 90-80=B, etc), then of course some use some variant of a 97+ = A+ (4.3), while a 93-96=A (4.0), and a 92-91/90=A- (3.7) -- though I do know that weighted GPAs aren't used and are adjusted so it makes the last point rather pretty trivial.

I guess my concern is that schools that opt not to use a +/- system (as stated earlier) and schools that use a 7-point scale over a 10 (or vice versa), place their students at a disadvantage when placed into a pool of applicants to graduate programs. What would've been an A/A- at one school (lets say a 3.7 GPA) is a 3.0 at another, a very significant drop in GPA.

Ultimately I worry that Adcoms may not fully take into consideration these problems when comparing two identical applicants (minus GPA) where one had a 3.7 overall and the other had a 3.4 (lets say). Do Adcoms raise the question of "What were the grading systems at these particular schools?"

Anyway, /rantoff

It reminds me of an education professor who once criticized schools that use a 7-point scale, "They give you 30 ways to pass and 70 ways to fail."

 

[sliceofbread136]

/ranton

From my experience this is true but the larger concern is that I feel, I guess my point is that schools who don't use +/- place their students at a significant disadvantage when it comes to graduate school in general.

Some schools use a 7 point scale (100-93=A, 92-86=B, etc) while others use a 10 point scale (100-91=A, 90-80=B, etc), then of course some use some variant of a 97+ = A+ (4.3), while a 93-96=A (4.0), and a 92-91/90=A- (3.7) -- though I do know that weighted GPAs aren't used and are adjusted so it makes the last point rather pretty trivial.

I guess my concern is that schools that opt not to use a +/- system (as stated earlier) and schools that use a 7-point scale over a 10 (or vice versa), place their students at a disadvantage when placed into a pool of applicants to graduate programs. What would've been an A/A- at one school (lets say a 3.7 GPA) is a 3.0 at another, a very significant drop in GPA.

Ultimately I worry that Adcoms may not fully take into consideration these problems when comparing two identical applicants (minus GPA) where one had a 3.7 overall and the other had a 3.4 (lets say). Do Adcoms raise the question of "What were the grading systems at these particular schools?"

Anyway, /rantoff

It reminds me of an education professor who once criticized schools that use a 7-point scale, "They give you 30 ways to pass and 70 ways to fail."

Not having +/- could actually help a student instead of hurting them. Just do the best you can at your school, don't worry too much about it.

 

[shamwowzer]

/ranton

From my experience this is true but the larger concern is that I feel, I guess my point is that schools who don't use +/- place their students at a significant disadvantage when it comes to graduate school in general.

Some schools use a 7 point scale (100-93=A, 92-86=B, etc) while others use a 10 point scale (100-91=A, 90-80=B, etc), then of course some use some variant of a 97+ = A+ (4.3), while a 93-96=A (4.0), and a 92-91/90=A- (3.7) -- though I do know that weighted GPAs aren't used and are adjusted so it makes the last point rather pretty trivial.

I guess my concern is that schools that opt not to use a +/- system (as stated earlier) and schools that use a 7-point scale over a 10 (or vice versa), place their students at a disadvantage when placed into a pool of applicants to graduate programs. What would've been an A/A- at one school (lets say a 3.7 GPA) is a 3.0 at another, a very significant drop in GPA.

Ultimately I worry that Adcoms may not fully take into consideration these problems when comparing two identical applicants (minus GPA) where one had a 3.7 overall and the other had a 3.4 (lets say). Do Adcoms raise the question of "What were the grading systems at these particular schools?"

Anyway, /rantoff

It reminds me of an education professor who once criticized schools that use a 7-point scale, "They give you 30 ways to pass and 70 ways to fail."

An A+ being weighted as a 4.3 sounds pretty ridiculous. If people cannot get an F- and have that count as -.3 then schools shouldn't be able to assign an A+ as 4.3.

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[Scalpels]

Ya this isn't right. They won't really care if you did +/- or not. A B is a B.

Not having +/- could actually help a student instead of hurting them.

That's kind of like what I was saying...

And they will not ask you about a B. Maybe a C, but not a B.

I've heard several people say that they have. *shrug* Maybe it depends on the class that the grade was made in.

 

[serosanguinous]

they won't ask about a B. i guess maybe if you had a 3.99 and had one B in a class they might ask about it, haha. but assuming the average med school acceptee has approximately 120 units and a 3.65 then that is a lot of Bs to ask about. 😛

 

[Scalpels]

they won't ask about a B. i guess maybe if you had a 3.99 and had one B in a class they might ask about it, haha. but assuming the average med school acceptee has approximately 120 units and a 3.65 then that is a lot of Bs to ask about. 😛

haha Very solid point. Touche.

Of course, I've known some brainies here and there. Maybe that was their predicament. lol