As the college application process becomes more competitive, some admissions officials at colleges and universities have become more concerned that high grades and honors designations are being passed out too easily — a phenomenon known as grade inflation.

"This has been an issue going back probably to the 1960s," said Rolf Wegenke, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, a private education group of which Marquette is a member. "Nobody has truly documented the extent or nature of grade inflation. In some ways, you could argue that students are just becoming better educated and that is why they are getting better grades. Whether it exists or not, there is definitely a perception of it. It is a hot topic and people pay attention to it."

Although grade inflation shows up in applications at Marquette, it is not a major issue, according to admissions officials. There has been no significant increase in grade inflation to warrant increased concern or awareness.

"I would say that there is definitely some grade inflation, but there has not been a dramatic increase," said Roby Blust, dean of undergraduate admissions. "There are so many different factors in the admissions process, grades being one of them. We look at a whole variety of aspects, though."

Although grades are an important factor in assessing applications, admissions counselors try to look at many different areas and at the interests of each student.

By doing so, counselors battle the grade inflation problem.

"One of the most important things at private colleges in Wisconsin is that admissions is a very individualized process," Wegenke said. "It is not a cookie cutter process. Universities don't just look at grades or test scores."

Wegenke said universities' approval procedures vary with the size of the school."

"At larger universities, there must be formulas to run people through as so many numbers," he said. "In the smaller private colleges of Wisconsin, it is a very individualized process, though."

Marquette follows a procedure similar to the one Wegenke endorses. Counselors don't just focus on grades, but instead strive to assess students based on a variety of factors.

"We look at the academic picture of the student, which includes grades, trends in grades and types of courses taken during high school," Blust said. "But we also look at standardized test scores, a letter of recommendation and activities outside of the classroom. Students that have a combination of these factors stand out."

At Marquette, many counselors work together to reach a conclusion and assess applications.

"A minimum of three people review each application," Blust said. "It is certainly a time-intensive process because we don't just look at numeric metrics. We look at every aspect of the application. A lot of discussion goes on."

Blust said multiple reviewers are crucial to the process.

"It is a team effort. Not just one counselor makes the final decision — all of us work together," he said.

Grade inflation also negatively impacts prospective students.

"Consequences are more for students at the same high school," said Wegenke. "If there is once an impression of grade inflation, then it sort of brands everyone. It isn't so much the workload of the admissions office at a particular university that grade inflation impacts, but rather it is the students at that high school."

Because of the grade inflation problem, students are encouraged to talk to admissions counselors and visit universities in order to stand out. By doing this, students can make an impression on counselors and get a feel for the university culture.

"I came to tour the campus and I thought that it really gave me a better understanding of what Marquette is about and the visit ultimately impacted my final college decision," said Vivian Taylor, a freshman in the College of Health Sciences.

This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on September 29, 2005.