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Discussion

Disputing a grade?

I got an A- in a course I think I should have gotten an A in. Is it worth it to dispute the grade? I have a 4.0 up until now. The course is not one of my pre-reqs for nursing and the nursing school I'm applying to says they really consider only the pre-req grades. On the other hand it's a very competitive program and having a 4.0 could possibly give me an edge in admission. I don't know. I would totally let it go if I wasn't set on getting into a good nursing program, and it's quite possible that it won't matter either way. Is there a reasonable way to discuss the grade with the instructor and find out if it can be raised?

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I guess times have changed. When I went to college, an A+, A or A- were all counted the same in calculating a GPA. I had no idea that a + or - mattered.

In all honesty, I don't think it is worth it to expend the time and energy necessary to challenge the tenths or hundredths of a point that this would amount to. I think it will be viewed as a trivial matter.

If you have objective evidence of a miscalculation of points, or a test or assignment that was incorrectly scored, then I suppose you could try. But if this is a course where grades are somewhat subjective (such as a writing class), I wouldn't bother. What if the instructor ends up telling you that your grade should have been a B+, but s/he admired your work and decided to give you the A- instead?

Best of luck in your upcoming classes!

  • Author

Yeah, an A- is scored as a 3.67 while an A (over 95%) is scored as a 4.

You're probably right that it's not worth sweating it especially since it isn't a pre-req. Maybe I was a little too proud of that perfect little 4.0, not that it will necessarily make any difference in the long run. Actually I have no idea how these nursing program admission decisions are made because I've heard of people with very high GPA's getting turned down.

If you have grounds on which to dispute the grade then do so.

If your grounds are simply that you "should" have gotten an A then you're best to keep quiet.

Your GPA or expectations have no bearing on the situation; either your grade is accurate or it's not. If it's not, I would try to get it corrected.

I agree with the above poster. If you have grounds then dispute it. My nursing school admission was based on GPA of prereqs and the TEAS test. I had a 3.9 GPA. So that one class would have had little effect on getting in to nursing school, but I am in a BSN program and that one 3.67 would effect my overall GPA and effect whether or not I can graduate with honors. In order to graduate Summa Cum Laude, my school requires an overall 3.9 - 4.0. And once you get into nursing school the classes will only get harder so you will have to really work hard to maintain a high GPA. I wish you well. It sounds like you have a great GPA and that is something you should be proud of.

Good work!

Best regards,

Jean

  • Author
If you have grounds on which to dispute the grade then do so.

If your grounds are simply that you "should" have gotten an A then you're best to keep quiet.

Your GPA or expectations have no bearing on the situation; either your grade is accurate or it's not. If it's not, I would try to get it corrected.

I calculated my grade by averaging my scores on all assignments, and my average is a 94%. I think that's worth an A. I have never seen a 94 graded as an A-, anywhere.

Anyway, I emailed the professor so we'll see what she has to say.

  • Experts

I agree with the poster who stated that if you have grounds to dispute the grade then you should do so. You never know when you will be in a position for which every fraction of a grade point will count. You don't want to be cut short of something that you rightfully deserve. I disputed a grade the first time I was in college and lost the argument. It was for an English course. Every one of my papers was graded B. The teaching assistant graded my final a C (which I did not agree with) and gave me a C for the class. That C has followed me all my life, when in reality I deserved a B. But this was her subjective opinion. There were no graded quizzes, or exams where I could point out mistakes. I was screwed.

On the other hand, I have a relative who is known in the family as a professional student. Her husband laughs at her because she is constantly fighting with her instructors over the difference between an A- and an A. At first, she was trying to get into nursing school. That didn't happen. So she went into another line of work. But her husband thought she should be more realistic and get out into the working world instead of childishly fighting for As to inflate her ego. That was it with her. It was perceived by her family to be an ego thing, not that she was trying to get the best GPA she could muster in order to be competitive to get into her desired program. I could see her reasoning (even if there was an ego component to it). You need the best grades you can possibly get. So, yes, discuss this with the instructor and stand your ground. As far as I'm concerned, unless stated otherwise at the beginning of the class, a 94% average is an A. I would not be so quick to say that about 92% and below. Good luck.

  • Experts
I calculated my grade by averaging my scores on all assignments, and my average is a 94%. I think that's worth an A. I have never seen a 94 graded as an A-, anywhere.

Anyway, I emailed the professor so we'll see what she has to say.

That seems like a pretty cut-and-dry situation to me. It depends on the grading scale of the school. Many schools use 93% as the cut-off between an A and a B. If that's the case at your school, the 94% would definitely be an A-. However, if your school uses 90% as the dividing line, then a 94% would probably be an A.

The information about the grading scale should be readily available in your syllabus or in something like a student handbook.

  • Author

On the other hand, I have a relative who is known in the family as a professional student. Her husband laughs at her because she is constantly fighting with her instructors over the difference between an A- and an A. At first, she was trying to get into nursing school. That didn't happen. So she went into another line of work.

Wait, she didnt' get into nursing school because of an A-?

I really wouldn't care, and I hesitated because I didn't want to sound childish, but getting into this nursing program is important to me. It's very hard to get in even with a very good GPA. I'm not really sure what criteria they use since people have posted here on this board that they had a high GPA plus health-related experience and didn't get in.

  • Author

The teacher got back to me and this is her response:

I would like you to know that you had an outstanding performance in the

course. This is a very demanding course and you were one of the very few

A's. Unfortunately to get an A, it is necessary to get 100-96. I do not

think you should worry about the -A you should be proud of it, considering

the level and requirements of the course.

That's that, I guess.

Chaya, stop worrying about the anecdotes that you read here or that come from you classmates. Every school is unique in their selection criteria just as every applicant is unique in their profile.

Do your best in school, make yourself a well-rounded candidate, investigate various schools and go through the process. You sound like a good student so you'll probably matriculate somewhere.

Congratulations on doing well in your class. It sounds like it was very challenging and that you rose to that challenge.

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