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13 Schools Where It's Almost Impossible To Fail (Lax grading policies pervade Ivy Leagues)
Business Insider ^ | 05/29/2013 | Max Rosenberg and Lynne Guey

Posted on 05/30/2013 8:03:45 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

While flunking out of college is common, some institutions have lax grading policies that make it remarkably difficult for students to fail.

Whether its college, law school, or business school, we found 13 schools that make it nearly impossible for their students to fail.

Most of these institutions are elite private schools with extremely selective admissions. Some argue that the students who gain entry to these schools are highly qualified, and therefore they perform higher than the average university student regardless of their grades.

These schools also have lenient grading policies and high grade inflation. Some have abolished the letter grade system altogether, while others allow students to choose which grades show on their transcript.

1. Yale Law School, New Haven, CT

Yale Law School is widely regarded as the top law school in the U.S.

The school doesn't have regular grades, just Honors, Pass, Low Pass, and Fail. Almost no one fails, so basically the worst you can do is get a low pass.

Not only does Yale Law have a different grading structure, but it has a unique culture as well.

We were recently shut down by students when we tried to compile a list of "the most impressive students at Yale Law School."

2. Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA

Harvard Law School also does not use traditional letter grades.

Instead it grades students through Honors, Pass, Low Pass, or Fail.

The school used to have a policy where 8% of students in each class were required to receive a Low Pass, but at the end of 2009, that policy was abandoned. However, professors are still allowed to give a Low Pass to students who they believe deserve it.

3. Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C.

Georgetown University Law Center adjusted its grading policy in 2009.

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Education; Society
KEYWORDS: college; grading; ivyleagues
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To: justlurking
You misunderstood my point. One can make the case that the $60,000 a year is "worth it". I understand that point.

The point I was trying to make is that people pay $250,000 and don't get any kind of special education. Harvard doesn't give them anything except an E-ticket.

Again: it might be worth it. But that's price gouging. At some point, society might wake up and say "You're really just like everyone else. Your resume doesn't actually impress me. Tell me why you're really special."

And the Ivy League grads will stare and have little more to say than: "Did you read my resume??? I went to Harvard!!!"

21 posted on 05/30/2013 9:30:01 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: cherry

Based on some lawyers I’ve known - very true. Illinois seems to hover around an 80%+ pass rate. When I took the California bar, it was around 50%. Zero passing the Illinois bar with likely 80% of others from all law schools, and likely after a thorough review course, is really not impressive.


22 posted on 05/30/2013 9:31:40 AM PDT by LibertyOh
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To: SeekAndFind

In the near future, “Harvard Law graduate’ may replace, ‘rocket scientist’ and ‘space cadet’ as a synonym for ‘idiot’.


23 posted on 05/30/2013 9:31:49 AM PDT by jmcenanly ("The more corrupt the state, the more laws." Tacitus, Publius Cornelius)
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To: SeekAndFind

The school doesn’t have regular grades: just Honors, Pass, Low Pass, and President.


24 posted on 05/30/2013 9:46:04 AM PDT by TurboZamboni (Marx smelled bad & lived with his parents most his life.)
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To: ClearCase_guy
I didn't miss your point. I think we are in violent agreement.

An Ivy League degree is only "special" because previous Ivy Leaguer's treat it as special. Outside that group, society doesn't really consider it that big a deal, although there are still those that don't know any better.

At this point, Ivy Leaguers still occupy enough important positions to make it "useful". That may change in the future, but not in the next few generations.

25 posted on 05/30/2013 10:59:56 AM PDT by justlurking (tagline removed, as demanded by Admin Moderator)
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To: Da Coyote

Mortar boards...the new dunce caps.


26 posted on 05/30/2013 3:58:12 PM PDT by S.O.S121.500 (Half black,half white......A SKUNK?........................ENFORCE THE BILL OF RIGHTS.(It"s the Law))
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To: SeekAndFind

how many pass the a bar exam on the first try?


27 posted on 05/30/2013 6:27:47 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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