Overview
- The plan would limit A grades to 20% per course, with instructors allowed up to four additional A’s to account for small or advanced classes.
- GPA would be supplanted for internal honors by an average percentile rank that, according to the proposal, would not appear on transcripts.
- The changes are recommendations pending a full Faculty of Arts and Sciences vote this spring, with implementation targeted for 2026–27 upon approval.
- A Harvard Undergraduate Association survey reported nearly 85% of respondents opposed the A cap and most rejected the proposed internal ranking.
- Faculty reaction is mixed, with supporters calling the cap a collective remedy for inflation that pushed A’s above 60% and critics citing concerns about autonomy, competition, and practical edge cases.