DancehallKing99
machichi
The majority of students are not in favor of grade disclosure, many students are against the new grade between proficient and distinction, and the vast majority of students are upset by the way in which these changes took place. Needless to say there are a lot of conversations happening both formally and informally with various stakeholders (alumni, current students, student government, etc.). Obviously some students are in favor of the changes, but what we all agree on is that we don't want these changes to have a negative effect on our culture. I think our priority , regardless of any individual's opinion on the changes themselves, should be to ensure that the SOM spirit of collegiality, collaboration, creativity, and care remains intact. There may be nothing to worry about, but I believe culture can and should be nurtured, especially in times of "crisis" and change.
The thing worth taking to heart is that the change in policy will have no effect on students currently at SOM, so we are advocating on behalf of prospective students like yourselves. Hopefully you all take that to be a good sign.

Well, I certainly appreciate the current students' efforts. I think my issue as someone who applied to this cycle, I applied because of the collegial environment, which in part was largely due to the grade nondisclosure and a variety of different interests. As an alumnus of a competitive undergraduate business program, I know how that atmosphere can be daunting to both the academic and professional components of the experience. I may understand the administrations' shift in policy, as it probably can ultimately lead to a boost in SOM's ranking. But I feel I submitted an application to a program that had particular structure, and the program doesn't have that essential feature. I'm a Round 2 Consortium applicant, and I do plan to enroll in the Fall, but I can't help to feel somewhat scammed in a sense.
DancehallKing and others, I realize that this is a potential curveball. Grade nondisclosure for me wasn't a criteria for school choice but it certainly played the role of a tie breaker, exactly for the reasons that you stated -- grade nondisclosure isn't just about grades on a piece of paper, it's all the aspects of the community and the school experience that having grade nondisclosure affects.
The exact policies, as far as I know, are still being sorted out so I wouldn't jump to any extreme feelings towards/against the school just yet. In the greater bschool landscape, having grade non-disclosure is becoming more and more of a privilege; many schools have shifted to grade disclosure in the past decade or so and some schools, like GSB, have a student-driven policy towards grade non-disclosure. Every school will find the policy that meets the needs of their own students, professors, and administration, and prospective students will continue to apply/matriculate as they will.
If you're worried that this will affect your school choice and/or your school experience at SOM, take this time to talk to current students, Admissions, and the administration. When it comes down to it, grade disclosure or not, the students make up the culture at SOM and it's your role to continue to shape that school culture to what is best for you and those around you.
In other news, happy waiting for R2 results. Only 1 more day to go!!