Undergrad Grade Problem Forum

(Applications Advice, Letters of Recommendation . . . )
User avatar
heywatchitbuddy

New
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:14 am

Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by heywatchitbuddy » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:00 pm

So for a class I just took, I went to my TA's office hours to ask what my grade was (to help me determine if I should take the optional final or not) and she told me I had a 93, and although she hadn't determined the A-/A cutoff, she said she would probably have it be a 93 (I've never seen it different here so I don't know why she would do it any other way) and advised me to not take the final. Now grades were just posted and she gave me an A- for the course. So I'm peeved for two reasons: she apparently made the cutoff a 94 even though it wasn't specified in the syllabus and she said likely wouldn't, and I've never taken a course at my college where the cutoff was a 94, never even heard of one. And secondly she told me not to do the optional final, which could have raised my grade. Should I talk to the professor, or how can I work this out?

User avatar
DocHawkeye

Silver
Posts: 640
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:22 am

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by DocHawkeye » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:05 pm

Let me get this straight - she didn't prevent you from taking the final, you just chose not to take it, right?

User avatar
heywatchitbuddy

New
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:14 am

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by heywatchitbuddy » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:07 pm

She didn't prevent me, she just said I shouldn't do it (because I'd probably get an A).

User avatar
DocHawkeye

Silver
Posts: 640
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:22 am

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by DocHawkeye » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:09 pm

And taking the final could have raised your grade?

User avatar
heywatchitbuddy

New
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:14 am

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by heywatchitbuddy » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:11 pm

Yes definitely.

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


User avatar
DocHawkeye

Silver
Posts: 640
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:22 am

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by DocHawkeye » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:12 pm

And you chose not to take it knowing that a 93 might result in an A-.

User avatar
ScottRiqui

Gold
Posts: 3633
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:09 pm

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by ScottRiqui » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:13 pm

If your professor had suggested that you not bother with the final because you'd probably be above the A/A- cutoff, that would be one thing - even if she later decided to make the cutoff 94, she'd probably change your grade if you reminded her of your conversation.

But that's not the case here - basically, you took the advice of the TA and got burned.

User avatar
TripTrip

Gold
Posts: 2767
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2012 9:52 am

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by TripTrip » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:14 pm

heywatchitbuddy wrote:Should I talk to the professor, or how can I work this out?
Professor first. Explain the situation. In a lot of schools, profs can change grades even after they have been posted.

Your appeals will all have to be at your school, however, as there's absolutely no way LSAC would touch that.

User avatar
dingbat

Gold
Posts: 4974
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:12 pm

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by dingbat » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:14 pm

--ImageRemoved--

Want to continue reading?

Register for access!

Did I mention it was FREE ?


User avatar
heywatchitbuddy

New
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:14 am

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by heywatchitbuddy » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:15 pm

ScottRiqui wrote:If your professor had suggested that you not bother with the final because you'd probably be above the A/A- cutoff, that would be one thing - even if she later decided to make the cutoff 94, she'd probably change your grade if you reminded her of your conversation.

But that's not the case here - basically, you took the advice of the TA and got burned.
Well the TA set the cutoff and was in charge of everything related to the grades.

User avatar
heywatchitbuddy

New
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:14 am

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by heywatchitbuddy » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:18 pm

dingbat wrote:--ImageRemoved--
You are correct my butt is devastated.

User avatar
wert3813

Silver
Posts: 1409
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 6:29 pm

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by wert3813 » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:48 pm

.
Last edited by wert3813 on Fri Oct 31, 2014 2:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
DocHawkeye

Silver
Posts: 640
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:22 am

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by DocHawkeye » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:55 pm

As a person who has been a T.A. and a professor, this is very little chance of getting the grade changed. For starters, its a pain in the ass to change a grade. The system is in place basically to protect the student, but usually you have to get a dean involved. It sucks. Also, as a professor, I would say that you knew the risks. You were on the borderline between two grades. If you had taken the final and it had somehow lowered your grade, I might take pity. You chose not to take the final and thus decided to accept where your grade stood at that time: probably an A, but maybe an A-. Sorry, but that's the way to cookie crumbles. Finally, professors spend a lot of time working out how their class grading is going to work. Nobody wants to be told that they did it wrong, especially by and undergrad. You might ask if the grade is correct, but it probably is. My advice is just to drop the issue since you did not take the final. You're just going to end up sounding whiney.

Register now!

Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.

It's still FREE!


User avatar
hohenheim

Bronze
Posts: 180
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:30 pm

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by hohenheim » Fri Dec 21, 2012 2:06 pm

DocHawkeye wrote:You're just going to end up sounding whiney.
Who cares, though? If this is someone who is going to wite you a rec letter, then maybe let it slide, but otherwise I would try hard to get this fixed. It was really easy at my undergrad for teachers to fix grades after they had been submitted. To to the ta first and if they. Can't help you then lay it out for the professor.

Cellar-door

Bronze
Posts: 375
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 4:33 pm

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by Cellar-door » Fri Dec 21, 2012 2:21 pm

might as well try, however even in your story you note the she said it would "probably" be an A. So you did know that there was a chance that you would be bumped down to an A-.

User avatar
Ludo!

Gold
Posts: 4730
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2011 1:22 pm

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by Ludo! » Fri Dec 21, 2012 2:26 pm

You're really going to quibble over an A- vs an A? How much could this possibly impact your GPA?

User avatar
Nova

Platinum
Posts: 9102
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:55 pm

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by Nova » Fri Dec 21, 2012 2:28 pm

heywatchitbuddy wrote:I went to my TA's office hours to ask what my grade was and she told me I had a 93, and although she hadn't determined the A-/A cutoff, she said she would probably have it be a 93
Your fault. Move on.

Get unlimited access to all forums and topics

Register now!

I'm pretty sure I told you it's FREE...


jym_dawg

Bronze
Posts: 294
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2012 10:09 pm

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by jym_dawg » Fri Dec 21, 2012 2:51 pm

But if you really want that grade changed, consider asking your TA out for dinner, drinks, and a special "dessert." PM DaRascal for more advice on this strategy.

User avatar
BerkeleyBear

Bronze
Posts: 257
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:22 pm

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by BerkeleyBear » Sun Dec 23, 2012 3:03 am

Your professor didn't provide a syllabus with the grading scale?

User avatar
superpippo

New
Posts: 93
Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2012 5:25 am

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by superpippo » Sun Dec 23, 2012 4:10 am

Ludovico Technique wrote:You're really going to quibble over an A- vs an A? How much could this possibly impact your GPA?
Yes.

He/she should be over it in a few weeks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonic_treadmill

User avatar
Br3v

Gold
Posts: 4290
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:18 pm

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by Br3v » Sun Dec 23, 2012 10:18 am

OP I would try to get it changed (prof then dean) but I highly doubt it will happen.

Communicate now with those who not only know what a legal education is, but can offer you worthy advice and commentary as you complete the three most educational, yet challenging years of your law related post graduate life.

Register now, it's still FREE!


gottago

Bronze
Posts: 243
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:10 pm

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by gottago » Wed Dec 26, 2012 10:10 pm

...

Yasy13

New
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:35 am

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by Yasy13 » Thu Dec 27, 2012 8:46 am

I would talk to the TA first but it's really not their problem. She didn't put it in writing she was going to give you an A, she simply suggested not to take the final. I don't think the prof is going to change the grade, if its a big class why is he going to listen to one student that's complaining. Btw this has happened to me and it sucks and I have complained and got nowhere.

The cutoff for an A is always a 95, I've never heard otherwise.

yoshikart

New
Posts: 31
Joined: Sun May 06, 2012 7:41 pm

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by yoshikart » Thu Dec 27, 2012 9:46 am

,,,
Last edited by yoshikart on Sun Jan 06, 2013 9:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
TripTrip

Gold
Posts: 2767
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2012 9:52 am

Re: Undergrad Grade Problem

Post by TripTrip » Thu Dec 27, 2012 9:55 am

yoshikart wrote:he nodded sternly @ me when I said happy holidays even though he smiled @ everyone else
This is the best quote ever.
yoshikart wrote:Worth challenging (going to dean etc.)?
That sounds like a "no." What would you challenge with? "My professor didn't like me" is not a challenge. You have to be able to demonstrate objectively that he reduced your grade specifically because he didn't like you. A B+ is not a bad grade for a paper (in general), so I doubt you'll be able to demonstrate that.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
Just kidding ... it's still FREE!


Post Reply

Return to “Law School Admissions Forum”