Blow Up - So John's friends at Princeton are considering a plan to curb grade inflation. Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism appears to be having the same conversation, as have other schools. I've never really understood why people get all atwitter over the fact that a high percentage of students at prestigious universities get good grades. Of course they do, the universities have selected these students as the most outstanding members of the application pool, and so it's natural that they'll perform at a level that is above average. Do all grades have to be given on a bell curve? Why create a disincentive for me to be a little fish in an Ivy pond instead of the big fish at Hollywood Upstairs Medical College.