In practice the principal function of college grades (as with standardized test scores) seems to be to reduce the number of students applying to grad schools - easing the workload of understaffed grad admissions departments while maintaining a "high graduate admissions rate" for the college that discourages students from applying. (This is particularly important for med schools, which sharply limit the number of slots so as to restrict the supply of physicians.)

In some cases grades provide useful feedback as far as how well students are learning the material, but that doesn't seem to be the primary goal.

I'm disappointed that UC Santa Cruz adopted a more traditional grading system and (in 2010) largely abandoned the narrative evaluation system that it pioneered when it was founded.

I mostly agree with grades as a concept. I just hated the princeton grade deflation system because it was obviously harming grad school applications for us, and the administration would gaslight us. They got rid of it and basically said that the only reason was for the mental health of students.

I disagree with grades as implemented because schools have so many diverse grading policies. I think grading systems should be improved.