rundmc

Hey guys,

I was wondering if colleges take into account of your schools ranking within the state/nation. I know for schools like phillips exeter, even students in the top 10% are considered really qualified but what about schools without such notoriety?How does a colleges determine whether your high school is rigorous or not? My school is among the lowest 10% of our state's public schools so if it is taken account...would it be advantageous since I've been taking the initiative to take classes beyond what is offered (and backed by ap scores) OR disadvantageous since my "A's" would appear to be easy A's?

nwhitsett

I mean, admissions people may be familiar with certain high schools, like "oh, yeah that high school is supposed to be good". HOWEVER. Having said that, admissions people WILL NOT PENALIZE YOU for attending a "lesser ranked" public school. I would just challenge yourself appropriately. I would suggest taking a few AP's and at least honors, but just make sure that you continue to get A's and B's. If you're drowning to the point where you're getting C's, you should probably drop a course.

hkobb7

Similar grades at magnet high schools (and, in general, more challenging schools) will likely be somewhat more well-respected than those at Grade Inflation Public High School, just as a B in Calc BC isn't a killer like a B in, say, English I. Also, be aware that rankings published by US News mean much less for high schools than they do for colleges and universities, for whom they are still severely flawed. I don't know which rankings you're referring to, but I've never heard of high school rankings (any, actually) that aren't snake oil.