Harvard University announced a cap on top grades in an effort to tackle grade inflation, a policy that faculty say has been long overdue and that students worry could affect GPAs and post‑college outcomes. The university’s plan aims to recalibrate evaluation and signal clearer differentiation in academic achievement. The change will require academic units to adjust grading norms, advising practices, and transcript messaging. Departments and career offices will need to coordinate to mitigate unintended consequences for fellowship, scholarship, and graduate‑school applications that rely on GPA as a screening metric.