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Perhaps this is a silly question, but I don't know much about Brown University. How is it possible that this school doesn't give out grades? Where is the motivation for students to learn, go to class, pull all-nighters, etc.?

By Jschuman3 (Jschuman3) on Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 12:41 pm: Edit

They do give out grades!!! Theres As, Bs, Cs, and anything below that is No Credit. You can opt to take classes Pass/Fail, but students do not overuse this priviledge.

By Satman04 (Satman04) on Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 03:24 pm: Edit

In addition, since there aren't any core requirements, Brown students typically motivate themselves to learn, go to class, or simply do the extra research for a subject, because students are taking classes they enjoy and are not taking classes they are forced to take.

It's a very unique ideology for leaving the shaping of education within the hands of each individual student--an ideology too that requires great responbility. Ideally, any student smart enough to get into brown should know how to handle that responsibility.

By Stelikepalli (Stelikepalli) on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 10:13 pm: Edit

But how is the graduate school placement like then if the students choose to take the pass/fail option?

By Rhkid005 (Rhkid005) on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 12:49 am: Edit

The grad school placement is excellent, with Brown grads represented at all of the top med, law, and grad schools. Brown was ranked 12th in the country (I think, either 11th or 13th or 12th) for getting grads into top med, law, and business schools. The point is that most students do not take most of their classes pass/fail. Most students take their classes for grades, esp the ones that want to go to good grad schools. People exagerate the pass/fail option - many great colleges (like Yale, for example) allow you to take some classes pass/fail.