Academics

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The Era of Grade Inflation: What It Means for College Admissions

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The Era of Grade Inflation: What It Means for College Admissions

Have you ever heard that a “C” is an average grade? That may have been true in the past, but not anymore. In fact, by 2020, 90% of grades were either A’s or B’s, according to a report from The College Board. The College Board found that between 1998 and 2016, high school GPA overall rose by .11 of a GPA point. So, why are today’s students earning higher grades? Are they smarter or are schools getting easier?

Welcome to the era of grade inflation. This trend has been on the rise since the late 19th century, but it really took off in the 1960s when above-average grades in college coursework could exempt young men from being drafted for the Vietnam war. In addition to this, many other factors contribute to grade inflation, such as the desire to support students, pressure to cede to parents’ complaints, or district policies that pressure teachers to compare favorably against other schools.

How does this translate for college admissions? With so many students earning high grades, it’s harder for admissions teams to distinguish between applicants.

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7 Ways to Make the Most of 10th Grade Spring

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7 Ways to Make the Most of 10th Grade Spring

As a 10th grader, you have some time before you need to start actively applying to colleges. However, the spring of your 10th grade year is a good time to start preparing for the college application process. Here are a few things you can do:

  1. Start exploring your options: Use this time to start exploring different colleges and universities that interest you. Consider factors such as location, size, academic programs, and extracurricular opportunities. There is no need visit tons of campuses, but start to get well versed in the lingo of research university, liberal arts college, general education requirements, Greek life etc., will help ease the learning curve later.

  2. Focus on your grades: Your grades are a crucial factor in the college admissions process, so it's important to focus on your studies and maintain good grades. It’s an important year to solidify study skills, you will likely have a very challenging year in 11th grade, so now is the time to sure up areas you find challenging, either in content or related to executive functioning (organization, time management, essay writing, etc.).