What do they curve to at your school?

[currentlypremed]

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My school is in the top 30 schools and its quite competitive. Teachers make really difficult and tricky exams so that class average always stays low; average ranged from 40-60 in organic chemistry. Most professors curve the average to a C+ and only a few curve to a B- and I heard students from other colleges saying their premed courses are curved to B or B+. What does your school curve the average/median to?

 

[Ansar]

For those freshman premed classes (into bio, gen chem) : B-
Honors courses (honors gen chem, ochem, physics): B+
normal ochem: B
normal ochem lab: B-

I think a lot of the bio classes after intro are curved to B

Hail, all hail, Cor~~nellllllllllllllllll

 

[plumhill]

For those freshman premed classes (into bio, gen chem) : B-
Honors courses (honors gen chem, ochem, physics): B+
normal ochem: B
normal ochem lab: B-

I think a lot of the bio classes after intro are curved to B

Hail, all hail, Cor~~nellllllllllllllllll

...yeah my institution curves all sciences to a C, except for honors organic chemistry which was curved to a B (which was already so difficult that most didn't take it).

 

[BABSstudent]

My school is in the top 30 schools and its quite competitive. Teachers make really difficult and tricky exams so that class average always stays low; average ranged from 40-60 in organic chemistry. Most professors curve the average to a C+ and only a few curve to a B- and I heard students from other colleges saying their premed courses are curved to B or B+. What does your school curve the average/median to?

None of my classes curve.

Actually, I had one class curve and I went from a 53% to an 88%. However, that class was ridiculous. It was cell physiology and the class average was always like a 30% on tests. It wasn't because we were not trying. The professor believed that undergrads could do as well as his PhD students and he held us to the same standards. Well, undergrads are not PhD students and it showed. The average was set to be a C, like a real bell curve.

That class was the exception.

I wish my orgo class was curved. I got a C+ when I took it and that was a 79.98%. No curve or rounding allowed.

 

[def1]

The majority of my classes were not curved.

But I believe the ones that were, were curved to C

 

[Josh7]

Usually curved to around a 77. Or normalized to whatever the %s are on the syllabus.

 

[janutt345]

Around a C.

 

[bigdogrob4284]

At my school they don't directly curve, but they do design their exams/assignments so that the class average for final grades ends up being around a C+/B-.

 

[Josh7]

At my school they don't directly curve, but they do design their exams/assignments so that the class average for final grades ends up being around a C+/B-.

This is pretty ideal but what happens when an exam is just horrible and the average ends up being <50%? Do they just make the next exam really easy? That seems like a good system only in theory.

 

[coyotelime]

C+/B- for better or worse...

had a class this semester that got curved down (avg was 84 and curved to B-). Never happened before.

 

[wizedw]

None of the above. 75% C

 

[sinombre]

My school is in the top 30 schools and its quite competitive. Teachers make really difficult and tricky exams so that class average always stays low; average ranged from 40-60 in organic chemistry. Most professors curve the average to a C+ and only a few curve to a B- and I heard students from other colleges saying their premed courses are curved to B or B+. What does your school curve the average/median to?

40 to 60 is probably pretty average... our averages were usually in the 30s. But my professor was literally delusional and would test us on things never mentioned in lecture. As I remember it, half of my classes curved to a B- and half to a C+.

 

[Doctor Strange]

What is this "curve" you speak of?

 

[487806]

C+/B- for better or worse...

had a class this semester that got curved down (avg was 84 and curved to B-). Never happened before.

Not really a bright move unless the professor wants to be hated

 

[bigdogrob4284]

This is pretty ideal but what happens when an exam is just horrible and the average ends up being <50%? Do they just make the next exam really easy? That seems like a good system only in theory.

Actually when I took ochem 2, the average for the second exam was ridiculously low, and they did make the third exam much easier.

 

[DAPI]

Only ever had two classes curved.

One was gen chem and our professor was known to make the tests extremely difficult so the average was <40%, but I would guess most kids got B-'s as a final grade. I think he kinda just arbitrarily gave grades out

The other was intro to biopsyc 🙄 He basically just make the highest grade on any given test be 100% and then everyone was curved up to that.

Other than that everything was you get what you earn.

 

[cwrig14]

I have a hard time believing most of these responses.. Very few undergrads have a mean GPA under 3.0. Unless you're referring specifically to science courses (which may differ), I highly doubt your curves are below a B-, let alone a B.

 

[sinombre]

I have a hard time believing most of these responses.. Very few undergrads have a mean GPA under 3.0. Unless you're referring specifically to science courses (which may differ), I highly doubt your curves are below a B-, let alone a B.

Hmm, well I was referring to science classes. None of my non-science classes were graded on a curve.

 

[cwrig14]

Hmm, well I was referring to science classes. None of my non-science classes were graded on a curve.

I've found that my science courses had a lower average grade than my non-science courses too. But to say that average differs by an entire letter grade (B+ 3.3 vs C+ 2.7) seems a bit farfetched.

 

[SoulinNeed]

They didn't curve.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Curved to a C (75%)

 

[kickster]

Science courses to a B-/C+, but labs (about 20 people) they only gave out 1 A and 1 A-, and all those lab credits add up!

 

[sinombre]

Science courses to a B-/C+, but labs (about 20 people) they only gave out 1 A and 1 A-, and all those lab credits add up!

That's a pretty absurd policy.

 

[silverturtle]

Well this thread makes me feel better about my school. The classes I've taken have been curved to B/B+, depending on the subject.

 

[yehhhboiii]

I used to wonder how it was possible to get a 4.0 but not anymore.

 

[fudGez14]

yeah same here, we usually curve to B, sometimes B+. but then again, you always have to factor in how competitive the entire class/school is. and although they may curve to a higher grade, they still limit the number of A's, even though it may not fit the standard curve.

and for a few classes (usually non-science), if the average is anything higher than a B+, then they all curve down accordingly. this is most often seen in language classes, where the average may be a 95 and a 90 could be a C/C-.

 

[KnuxNole]

I have a hard time believing most of these responses.. Very few undergrads have a mean GPA under 3.0. Unless you're referring specifically to science courses (which may differ), I highly doubt your curves are below a B-, let alone a B.

Really? The average GPA for undergrads are a 3.0-3.1. LOTS of people have C's or lower. Remember, not everyone in undergrad wants an A....the "C's get degrees" is very common.

 

[Wipeout416]

Really? The average GPA for undergrads are a 3.0-3.1. LOTS of people have C's or lower. Remember, not everyone in undergrad wants an A....the "C's get degrees" is very common.

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