Harvard students are vehemently opposing a recent report from the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) that criticizes grade inflation, asserting that it unfairly distorts their real academic experiences. This 25-page document suggests that the university’s grading system has become too lenient, failing to adequately differentiate between students.
The report urges the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and other Harvard affiliates to ‘re-centre academics’ by implementing stricter grading standards. However, students fear these recommendations would only intensify the pressure in an already demanding university environment.
Students Call Report ‘Soul-Crushing’
Sophie Chumburidze, a member of the class of ’29, expressed that the report minimizes the immense effort students dedicate to their studies. She shared her distress, saying, ‘The whole entire day, I was crying. I skipped classes on Monday, and I was just sobbing in bed because I felt like I try so hard in my classes, and my grades aren’t even the best. It just felt soul-crushing.’
Kayta A. Aronson, also from the class of ’29, cautioned that stricter grading could severely impact student mental health. She reflected, ‘It makes me rethink my decision to come to the school. I killed myself all throughout high school to try and get into this school. I was looking forward to being fulfilled by my studies now, rather than being killed by them.’
Zahra Rohaninejad, another ’29 student, emphasized that current academic standards already feel overly harsh. ‘I can’t reach my maximum level of enjoyment just learning the material because I’m so anxious about the midterm, so anxious about the papers, and because I know it’s so harshly graded,’ she explained. ‘If that standard is raised even more, it’s unrealistic to assume that people will enjoy their classes.’
Extracurricular Commitments Overlooked, Students Argue
Many students highlighted the critical role of activities outside the classroom. Peyton White, class of ’29, argued, ‘What makes a Harvard student a Harvard student is their engagement in extracurriculars. Now we have to throw that all away and pursue just academics. I believe that attacks the very notion of what Harvard is.’
Hudson C. McCarthy, a ’29 student and member of the men’s lacrosse team, pointed out that the report failed to acknowledge the demanding daily schedules of student-athletes. He stated, ‘It’s doing students a disservice because it’s not really accounting for what we have to do on a day-to-day basis, and how many hours we’re putting into our team, our bodies, and then also school.’
While some students conceded that grade inflation might be an issue, they warned of unforeseen negative consequences. Stephen A. Behun, class of ’28, commented, ‘Addressing it only at Harvard is potentially dangerous for these students that are looking to go on to the next level or need these high grades. We’re putting the cart before the horse when it comes to fixing this without fully understanding how it’s going to impact students professionally, even if it academically helps them master subjects.’
Necati O. Unsal, class of ’26, underscored the persistent pressure to maintain near-perfect GPAs. ‘There is a reason we’re in this situation in the first place,’ he observed, ‘and the fact that you’re so scared of your GPA dropping 0.1 or 0.2 shows that there is a real crisis going on.’
Official representatives for Harvard College and the FAS declined to comment on the students’ concerns.