Carney Curve

Boston College course evaluations · every published number, ranked class by class

Top of the board1.ECON 9902962.LAWS 8856973.PRTO 3300984.BSLW 2299975.PHIL 4932986.LAWS 8308987.SCWK 9960998.EESC 99011009.MUSP 16609610.UGMG 10109811.UNCP 55119712.SCWK 883197

Positions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

Instructor record · Finance · Fall 2021 – Spring 2023

Elliott Smith

Finance · 10 evaluation records across 5 classes

On each class's board
MFIN 11279th of 9 instructorsMFIN 88811st of 2 instructors ProvisionalMFIN 77046th of 6 instructors ProvisionalMFIN 88079th of 10 instructors ProvisionalMFIN 88081st of 2 instructors Provisional
What the overall is made of
63BC evaluations10 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2023
64RateMyProfessors11 ratings · weight ×2.0 · 50% would take again
—Student reviewsno reviews — does not contribute

Sources are averaged by how much we trust each one and by how many records sit behind it, so a handful of reviews nudges the number rather than replacing it.

What the challenge rank is made of
19thMore challenging than 19% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
82BC — “Intellectually Challenging”10 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College's own “intellectually challenging” question — students answer it positively about courses that stretched them, so it measures intellectual challenge and NOT grading, workload or quality. Almost every BC class scores high on it, which is why it is shown as a rank rather than a score. RateMyProfessors separately rates this instructor 80 out of 100 for difficulty — that IS a difficulty measure, but it is about the person across everything they teach, not about any one class, so it is shown here rather than folded into the number above.

What the workload rank is made of
51stMore work than 51% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
52BC — “Workload”10 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College reports workload as one of five bands, not as a number of hours, and it does not publish what the bands mean — so this site will not translate it into hours. Higher means more work, which is not the same as worse.

Ratings from outside BC

Not evaluation data

Collected from RateMyProfessors, not from Boston College: 11 ratings, 50% would take again, difficulty 80 out of 100. Difficulty is not a quality signal in either direction — a harder course is not a worse one.

Anyone can post there — no @bc.edu check and no enrolment check — so it is weighted alongside the evaluation data, never above it.

The line

All 13 items · means across 10 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
682nd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8930th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
765th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
755th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
662nd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
702nd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
797th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
777th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8733rd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8114th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
5251st pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8219th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
736th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

Class by class

5 classes · 10 sections

How each position is worked outPositions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

MFIN 1127 Corporate FinanceOvr54Chal4thWork33rd
On this class's board9th of 9 instructors

5 sections on record · course itself rated 53 out of 100. See the full board for MFIN 1127.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202201514940
Fall 202202595940
Spring 202203545240
Fall 202102555460
Fall 202103505060
All 13 items for MFIN 1127
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
610th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
859th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
711st pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
700th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
570th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
620th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
762nd pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
732nd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8523rd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
775th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4833rd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
774th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
661st pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

MFIN 8881 Advanced Corporate FinanceOvr78Chal48thWork78th
On this class's board1st of 2 instructors Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 77 out of 100. See the full board for MFIN 8881.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202201878360
Spring 202202697060
All 13 items for MFIN 8881
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
828th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9136th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8514th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
847th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8418th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8212th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8512th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8414th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9251st pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8727th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
6078th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9048th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8111th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

MFIN 7704 Financial ManagementOvr42Chal4thWork25th
On this class's board6th of 6 instructors Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 39 out of 100. See the full board for MFIN 7704.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202201423940
All 13 items for MFIN 7704
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
460th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8613th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
620th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
600th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
490th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
530th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
630th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
610th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
789th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
641st pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
774th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
661st pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

MFIN 8807 Corporate FinanceOvr76Chal22ndWork78th
On this class's board9th of 10 instructors Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 68 out of 100. See the full board for MFIN 8807.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202302766860
All 13 items for MFIN 8807
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
783rd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9672nd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
816th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8510th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
734th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
775th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8513th pctl
Assignments & Feedback2 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8622nd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9888th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
6078th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8522nd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8213th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one. 1 of 13 questions were not reported and are left out rather than shown as zero.

MFIN 8808 Financial PolicyOvr88Chal60thWork78th
On this class's board1st of 2 instructors Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 80 out of 100. See the full board for MFIN 8808.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Summer 202201888060
All 13 items for MFIN 8808
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8820th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
100100th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8822nd pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9234th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8832nd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9253rd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9245th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9683rd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9677th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9253rd pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
6078th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9260th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8832nd pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

How to read this pageScores are out of 100 — Boston College's 1–5 agreement scale, ×20, the way these numbers were printed for years. Almost every class scores high on that scale (the median is about 90), so challenge and workload are shown as a rank against every instructor we hold rather than as a score; the raw figure is in the breakdown above. Neither describes quality, and neither is ever marked better or worse anywhere on this site. A dash means the question was not reported, and is never a zero. The position printed against each class is this instructor's place on that class's own board, computed from the same records the board itself is built from.