How important is your GPA?

The History of GPA

Grading in American education dates back to 1785, when Yale students were assigned an adjective, Optimi, Inferiores, or Perjores, in order from best to worst. There are arguments for and against this take, but historians widely accept it. The A-F system was first adopted in America by Mount Holyoke College in 1897.

Grades are all fine and dandy, but should they be so widely accepted? Criticism around grading in education is an essential topic as our society advances; students often do not learn for their future life or out of interest in the material, but only for the grades and the associated status. In my opinion, grades are destructive to the productivity of students and create negative attitudes towards learning. It also creates tons of unneeded stress. I believe that school was created to organize success and not document failure. Failure is perfectly acceptable, everyone fails. A bad grade should not decide your entire higher education livelihood.

In conclusion, a reform of the American grading system would be positive for every current student, and future students. Pass or fail systems are already implemented in a few colleges in America, such as Brown University, an Ivy League school. Schools should put more effort into creating focuses on knowledge and learning.