This week in college admissions, Harvard seeks to reduce grade inflation, Northwestern names a new president, UChicago waives tuition for families earning under $250,000, and the FAFSA completion rate hits a record high.
In an attempt to reduce grade inflation, faculty members at Harvard voted in favor of a proposal to cap the number of A grades awarded to undergraduate students. A’s will be now limited to 20 percent of the letter grades awarded in each course, whereas in 2024-25, about two-thirds of undergraduate grades were A’s.
Northwestern University has named Dr. Mung Chiang as its new president. Dr. Chiang currently serves as president of Purdue University. Northwestern’s former president, Michael H. Schill, resigned last year following allegations that the university had not done enough to combat antisemitism on campus.
The University of Chicago has instituted one of the country’s most generous financial aid policies, providing free tuition to students from families earning under $250,000 annually. UChicago joins many other elite schools in waiving tuition for lower-income families in an attempt to increase socioeconomic diversity. Students from families earning under $125,000 will have all expenses covered.
A record 54.7% of high school seniors nationwide have completed the FAFSA so far this year. Experts cite an earlier opening date for this FAFSA cycle, as well as changes intended to simplify the FAFSA process, as reasons for the higher completion rate.
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