NPHC grade requirements?

Munchkin03 · #1 07-13-2008, 11:40 AM

This is a question that I've asked for 10 years now. I think a lot of it has to do with chapter size, as well as the slightly elevated age of NPHC chapter members. If a pledge class of 50 pulls a 3.5 in their lower division classes, that could offset the 3.0 average of a senior class. Since NPHC chapters are smaller, that doesn't average out to be the same. Also, the vast majority of NPHC members I know are engineers, pre-med, and pre-dental. Their GPAs aren't going to be as high as the NPC chapter with a ton of art history, interior design, or education majors.

UGAalum94 · #2 07-13-2008, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

This is a question that I've asked for 10 years now. I think a lot of it has to do with chapter size, as well as the slightly elevated age of NPHC chapter members. If a pledge class of 50 pulls a 3.5 in their lower division classes, that could offset the 3.0 average of a senior class. Since NPHC chapters are smaller, that doesn't average out to be the same. Also, the vast majority of NPHC members I know are engineers, pre-med, and pre-dental. Their GPAs aren't going to be as high as the NPC chapter with a ton of art history, interior design, or education majors.

I agree with what you've said about the NPHC topic generally, but. . .

Was it really your experience that the average NPC had a ton of art history, interior design, and education majors?

It wasn't the case in mine, and I wouldn't say there was a big difference in majors between NPCs and NPHCs members in my limited experience.

I also feel the need to defend art history and interior design, at least at UGA. Art history was a rigorous as regular history, FWIW, which I realize isn't the same as being a hard science major. And interior design, if you took it through the school of art, was actually a very highly selective and rigorous program.

Now, I'm not saying that they were as hard as physics or engineering, but they were nowhere near as easy as education classes of which I've taken a few.

Munchkin03 · #3 07-13-2008, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

Was it really your experience that the average NPC had a ton of art history, interior design, and education majors?

I also feel the need to defend art history and interior design, at least at UGA. Art history was a rigorous as regular history, FWIW, which I realize isn't the same as being a hard science major. And interior design, if you took it through the school of art, was actually a very highly selective and rigorous program.

If you feel the need to defend, knock yourself out. I was an Architecture major who minored in Art History and Italian, so, I think I know of what I speak. Art History was by far one of the most popular majors in my sorority, and it was as well for the other NPC on my campus. I knew more NPHC sorority members--not just at my school, but in my family--taking engineering and hard sciences. Those classes can do a number on your GPA that Intro to the Renaissance just can't.

I had to take an engineering class to fill one of my Structures requirements, and I can totally vouch for the fact that the class was one of the hardest ones I've taken. Art history isn't a total walk in the park, but I'd take 10 of those classes any day over engineering.

UGAalum94 · #4 07-13-2008, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

If you feel the need to defend, knock yourself out. I was an Architecture major who minored in Art History and Italian, so, I think I know of what I speak. Art History was by far one of the most popular majors in my sorority, and it was as well for the other NPC on my campus. I knew more NPHC sorority members--not just at my school, but in my family--taking engineering and hard sciences. Those classes can do a number on your GPA that Intro to the Renaissance just can't.

I had to take an engineering class to fill one of my Structures requirements, and I can totally vouch for the fact that the class was one of the hardest ones I've taken. Art history isn't a total walk in the park, but I'd take 10 of those classes any day over engineering.

I completely agree that Art History is easier than engineering. But if you were looking for easy classes at UGA, it didn't top the list, maybe just because we had easier stuff (remember that intro to basketball final that made the news with Jim Herrick Jr?).

It's not that I think Art History is super-hard; there's just no way, in my experience, that it's in the same league as education. And AH didn't seem to be a particularly Greek major at my school when I was there.

Elephant Walk · #5 07-13-2008, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Also, the vast majority of NPHC members I know are engineers, pre-med, and pre-dental. Their GPAs aren't going to be as high as the NPC chapter with a ton of art history, interior design, or education majors.

Because anecdotes totally make it true.

tld221 · #6 07-13-2008, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

We already know that this is one of "those" threads.

sigh, unfortunately. i should be doing my duty and putting the fire out, but its more fun to just add more lighter fluid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeezDiscreet

You're pondering pretty hard on an issue that is very campus-specific. The OP should go ask those chapter members why their GPA is so low then report his/her findings.

... endscene.

UGAalum94 · #7 07-13-2008, 02:32 PM

You want to conduct an informal greek survey to see how campus specific it is? Everyone with access could post the grade reports, and we could see what the trends were, if there were any.

I kind of doubt we'll get much participation though.

DSTCHAOS · #8 07-13-2008, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I kind of doubt we'll get much participation though.

Understandably so.

Universities and other entities do these types of comparisons for a reason. You all typically do them because you need a hobby.

Munchkin03 · #9 07-13-2008, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

Because anecdotes totally make it true.

Hey, no need for the snark. I just related my experiences as a member of an NPC chapter where there were a lot of Art History majors. The workload my sisters and I had wasn't nearly as intense as some of my NPHC friends and family members, who for whatever reason, decided to focus on different fields of study.

fantASTic · #10 07-13-2008, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Hey, no need for the snark. I just related my experiences as a member of an NPC chapter where there were a lot of Art History majors. The workload my sisters and I had wasn't nearly as intense as some of my NPHC friends and family members, who for whatever reason, decided to focus on different fields of study.

It's also true that NPCs tend to have much higher member numbers than NPHCs - of course we will have more marketing and communications majors. We have more members. I would be interested to see percentage-wise how that goes, though. My chapter has quite a lot of science majors or pre-med, which are very difficult and time consuming.