HBS Grading System

i wish i had known more about the grading system before starting at HBS.  no, it would not have changed my decision to come here over stanford and wharton (where i was also accepted), but it is always helpful to have more color on academic performance issues.

at HBS, you get 1's, 2's, and 3's.  if you're beyond terrible then there's a place for you in the "4" category (described more below)

HBS Grading

Note: Required curriculum means "first year classes" and elective curriculum means "second year classes"

At the conclusion of each course, the instructor assigns to each student in his/her section who completes the course, one of four grades designated as Category I, II, III, and IV, and reports these grades to the Registrar.

• Category I -- given to the top 15-20% of students in a required curriculum section or the top 15-25% of students in an elective curriculum course section.
• Category II -- given to the next 70-75% of students in a required curriculum section or the next 65-75% in an elective curriculum course section. The actual number of Category II grades is subject to the number of Category I grades assigned.
• Category III -- given to the lowest-performing 10% of students in a required curriculum section or an elective curriculum course section.
• Category IV -- seldom assigned; designates failure of achievement and/or commitment and, therefore, failure to meet minimum standards of the course. If Category IV is used in a course, the combined number of students who receive Categories III and IV must equal the lowest 10% of the section or elective course section.

While grading varies considerably among courses, class participation typically accounts for 30 to 50 percent of a course grade, with the balance taken from written mid-term exams (roughly 5 to 15 percent) and written final exams (approximately 30 to 60 percent).
If a student receives a Category III or IV in a required curriculum course, his/her instructor submits to the Registrar an Instructor Evaluation of Student Performance Form that provides more detailed information about the student's total performance.

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So what does this mean if you want to "get by" at harvard business school.  The key is to avoid "hitting the screen" or getting 5 or more 3's over the course of your first year.  Any student who receives 5 or more “3”s in the first year RC year (i.e. in more than half of your courses) will be reviewed by the Academic Performance Committee (APC) at the end of the year to determine whether they should continue on to the second EC year or withdraw and take some time off (the vast majority eventually return and graduate).  There is no quota or percentage here – it is purely a case-by-case basis.  In that scenario, the APC will see all your grades, input from all 10 professors who will focus on whether or not they believe you had a “fundamental understanding” of the material, and a personal note telling “your side of the story”.  Extenuating circumstances (e.g. family illness), general strength of the section (e.g. the student got the material but was a “victim of the curve”), attendance, and general level of engagement during class all come into play.  No one repeats the RC year; the question is whether the student is ready for the EC year.

raise your hand

even though i was an undergrad business major, i have not been gliding by my first year at HBS.  many of my friends, from similar prestigious undergrad business schools like michigan, uva, wharton, nyu and others have expressed similar sentiments.

basically, no matter what your background (even if you worked at the most elite i banks and pe shops), HBS case method doesn't allow you to take it easy, chill during class, and cram for exams and expect to pass with the combination of your great undergrad degree and work experience propping you up.  HBS profs know everyone's backgrounds going into class, but they won't be wowed into giving you an automatic "1" because it is assumed you know all there is to know about finance, marketing, or whatever class you happen to find yourself in.

so as uncomfortable as it may sound for some of us (myself included) who don't like speaking up unless we're totally sure about an issue, the best advice i can give you is to "put 'em up" - even if you're not 100% sure about the answer, put your hand out there - what's the worst that can happen?  honestly, the section environment at HBS is super-supportive, mistakes are welcome and the ENTIRE class learns just as much from a wrong answer as from a right one - and no one is going to make fun of you or judge you based on what you say in class.