I well understand the problem of grade inflation. From what I have heard and read, it is largely the fault of the graduate schools, which are unwilling or unable to compare, for example, the difference between a 3.9 average at a state school and a 3.7 at a highly selective private college.
On the other hand, I am impressed by what I have learned from speaking with professors, recent graduates and current students at my alma mater. Many of the student now pursue double majors, some in totally unrelated fields. They mostly skip introductory course, because of AP courses in high school, and take more advanced courses that was the case 50 years ago. There research projects and papers are far more sophisticated than the senior theses of my day. Admission standards are incredibly high at the selective universities. I participate in my school's alumni interview program. I have seen many brilliant, talented and well-rounded applicants turned down. From what I have seen on campus, the students of today take their courses of study more seriously than we did. So yes, it is easier to get an "A" these days than it was decades ago (5 of this years graduating students at Dartmouth had perfect 4.0 averages), but the work load and the competition are both heavier, from what I have observed. Dan Matyola http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/danieljmatyola On Tue, Jun 18, 2013 at 11:32 AM, Mark Roberts <[email protected]> wrote: > Daniel J. Matyola wrote: > >>Thanks, Frank. Graduating from an Ivy League college today is much >>more difficult than when I did it. > > Speaking from inside the academia bubble, Dan, I can assure you that > the opposite is true: It's much easier to graduate from college now, > even an Ivy League school, than ever before. Grade inflation is > rampant and it's only acceptable to fail the students with the most > egregiously low performance. And, yes, this applies in the Ivy League. > I've read articles from professors at all levels warning about the > pressure to pas students and move 'em on through the system. One > professor – at *Harvard* – has become so sick of it he gives every > paper two grades: The official one that goes in the books and the > "real" grade that the paper deserves and which he would give it if > allowed. > > Things were MUCH tougher when you did it. > > -- > Mark Roberts - Photography & Multimedia > www.robertstech.com > > > > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
