How will choosing an alternative grading option affect my eligibility for admission to graduate/professional schools, or competitive fellowship programs outside of Mason?
Posted: April 1, 2020 at 4:08 pm, Last Updated: February 11, 2021 at 11:55 am
Although many programs are modifying requirements to accommodate special circumstances related to COVID-19, we have no control over requirements for external institutions and programs. Students are encouraged to check with graduate/professional programs and/or fellowship programs to ensure they are familiar with specific requirements prior to selecting an alternative grade option. If you are not certain […]
If I am receiving benefits from the Veteran’s Administration, how might the alternative grading mode affect me?
Posted: March 27, 2020 at 11:29 am, Last Updated: February 11, 2021 at 12:00 pm
For undergraduate students who decide to use alternate grading mode and receive grades of XS or XP, there will be no change or effect on your Education Benefits. For graduate students who decide to use alternate grading mode and receive grades of XS, there will be no effect on your Education Benefits. For undergraduate students […]
If I am on a merit scholarship, how might the alternative grading mode affect me?
Posted: March 27, 2020 at 11:29 am, Last Updated: February 11, 2021 at 12:00 pm
For students receiving merit scholarships, they will need to determine what the GPA is for keeping those scholarships. For many of the Admissions scholarships, that cut off is a 2.75 GPA. If the student had less than 2.75 in the previous term and select all alternate grades, they cannot bring up that GPA and that […]
How will academic standing be calculated for Spring 2020?
Posted: March 27, 2020 at 11:29 am, Last Updated: April 1, 2020 at 11:54 am
In spring 2020, students will have the option to select a grade scheme that carries no quality points, therefore special considerations must be taken into account when calculating academic standing. There will be three groups of students in spring 2020, each requiring a different type of assessment for academic standing: Students who have retained the […]
If I am repeating a course in Spring 2020 (that I took in a previous semester and did poorly) and I select the alternative grade mode, how will my GPA be affected by the repeated course?
Posted: March 27, 2020 at 11:29 am, Last Updated: March 27, 2020 at 4:27 pm
The repeat policy for undergraduates indicates that the latest attempt of the course will be the grade that counts, even if that grade is lower than a previous attempt. Because there are no quality points associated with the alternate grade mode, the previous attempt will no longer factor into the GPA, but there won’t be […]
If a student used a selective withdrawal recently and in direct response to the online format, could we allow a “free” return to that course given the new grading options?
Posted: March 27, 2020 at 11:29 am
Unfortunately, no. Students must be currently registered in the class in order to select the alternative grading mode.
Will choosing the alternative grading mode have any effect on my financial aid or scholarships?
Posted: March 27, 2020 at 11:29 am, Last Updated: February 11, 2021 at 12:02 pm
It depends. State Grant programs (Commonwealth and VGAP) require that an undergraduate student have a 2.0 GPA to award. If an undergraduate student’s GPA is below 2.0 now (based on previous terms), or if this is the student’s first semester and they select all alternate grades, they would not qualify for state grants if the […]
How will cross-registration grades (Study Elsewhere, Consortium) grades be affected?
Posted: March 27, 2020 at 11:29 am, Last Updated: February 11, 2021 at 11:56 am
Study Elsewhere grades are subject to the grading policies in place at the visited institution and are subject to Mason’s transfer eligibility rules. Consortium courses are also subject to the grading policies in place at the visited institution, but the grade received there will appear on the Mason transcript.
Is there someone I can speak with about deciding between A-F grading and the alternative grade mode for my classes?
Posted: March 27, 2020 at 11:29 am, Last Updated: February 11, 2021 at 11:58 am
Yes! Your academic advisor would be happy to talk to you about your grade option selection. Undergraduate students can find your academic advisor using the following tool: https://advising.gmu.edu/current-student/advisor-locator/ If you are receiving financial aid, you might also reach out the Mason Student Services Center to talk to a counselor.
I’m an undergraduate taking a graduate level course. Does the alternative grade mode affect my graduate level course?
Posted: March 27, 2020 at 11:29 am, Last Updated: February 11, 2021 at 11:59 am
Undergraduate students taking graduate-level courses will be able to select the alternative grading mode in those courses, but are subject to the graduate-level grade definitions.