"Professor, I Took the Exam but There's No Grade on My Transcript"...Top U.S. University Launches Bold New Experiment

University of Michigan Eliminates Letter Grades for Freshmen's First Semester
"Encouraging Students to Take on New Fields Without Worrying About Their GPA"
Harvard Caps A Grades at 20 Percent

U.S. universities are taking different approaches regarding their grading systems. The University of Michigan has decided to evaluate first-semester grades for incoming freshmen on a pass/no credit basis instead of the traditional A–F letter grades. In contrast, Harvard University has introduced a restriction on the proportion of A grades awarded, aiming to curb grade inflation.

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"Encouraging Challenge, Not Worrying About Grades"...University of Michigan Abolishes A–F Grades for Freshmen

According to reports by the New York Times, ABC News, and other foreign media on August 12 (local time), the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts at the University of Michigan will begin assessing first-semester grades for incoming freshmen as either 'Pass' or 'No Credit' instead of traditional letter grades, starting with the Fall 2027 semester.

This does not mean that grading itself will be eliminated. Faculty members will still assign letter grades such as A or B and offer feedback to students as before. However, these grades will not appear on official transcripts and will not impact grade point averages (GPA). The university will keep a separate record of the grades internally for purposes such as academic advising, scholarships, academic awards, internships, and major applications.

The university believes this system will help reduce the academic pressure on freshmen and assist them in adjusting to campus life smoothly. The intention is that students will feel more comfortable taking on new or challenging subjects instead of avoiding difficult courses out of fear that their GPA will suffer.

Student responses have been positive. Student body president Summit Roose described the decision as remarkable and noted that students are welcoming the new evaluation method.

However, there are also concerns regarding the approach to grading. Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert commented, "College should be a place that teaches young people that assessment is not always enjoyable. Receiving a poor grade can be upsetting and anxiety-inducing, but learning to cope with and overcome those feelings is also part of becoming an adult."

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"Preventing Excessive Distribution of A Grades"...Harvard University Limits A Grades to 20 Percent

Some universities are moving in the opposite direction of the University of Michigan and tightening their grading policies.

This past May, Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences approved a plan to cap the proportion of A grades a professor can award to 20 percent of all students in a given class. The purpose is to curb rampant 'grade inflation' and enhance the ability of grades to distinguish academic achievement.

According to the New York Times, the percentage of students earning A grades at Harvard University increased from roughly one in three during the 2012–2013 academic year to about two in three in 2024–2025.

Harvard University believes that if A grades become too commonplace, grades will no longer accurately reflect students' academic achievements, and their value may diminish in postgraduate admissions and job applications. The university also argues that an environment where high grades are taken for granted does not necessarily promote greater academic effort among students.

As U.S. universities adopt different grading strategies, the debate surrounding the role of grades in higher education is intensifying. The discussion centers on whether universities should focus on reducing academic stress to encourage students to try new fields, or whether the experience and resilience gained from facing failure and setbacks should also be recognized as an important part of education.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.