My daughter (rising senior)started filling it out this week and we have a few questions. Hopefully more experienced parents/students/counselors can help.
Her school ranks by decile, but the rank does not show on the transcript and they purposely don’t tell the students what they are ranked. It’s all an internal secret. Should she still put “decile” in the question asking about class rank reporting?
She is taking a study hall for the first time this year as a senior. I am assuming she does not enter the study hall into her senior year courses even though it is considered an elective, correct?
What does the quesrion mean that is worded something like “have you received free help from a community organization?” We have no idea what that means so she just selected “no”
Decile rank - NO, she should not report any rank because there is no official rank provided on the transcript. The guidance counselor, however, can report an “estimated” class rank, if requested, on a counselor recommendation form.
Study Hall - NO, she should only report all academic classes she is receiving credit towards a high school diploma, including any dual enrollment coursework. A more competitive college, however, may question why she is enrolled in 6 classes vs. 7, e.g.; should they decide to probe further.
Community organization - NO. She hasn’t received any assistance in completing this application.
Thank you! She is applying to a few competitive reaches, so would the missing course which is the study hall be a red flag? She is taking 5 AP classes this year (plus orchestra) and her counselor won’t let her take that many without a study hall. Would it be better to drop an AP and add something like an art class or other light elective?
Sorry, to be clear, for #1, you are saying click yes? Does it then prompt you to list the rank? If so, then she should click no, because she doesn’t know her exact rank (although she can assume she’s in the top 10%)
Taking study hall is a typically a disqualifier for “PHYSM” & most competitive reaches. However, in your daughter’s case, it is a mandatory study hall due to the five AP classes she is currently registered for due to some school or district policy. I would provide an explanation to the competitive reaches (if her guidance counselor can in the counselor recommendation form, even better). If your daughter prefers to take the art class or some other elective & doesn’t need to take all five AP classes or worse, doesn’t want to take them, it should also be okay.
If the official reporting is in decile, then she lists the decile. If the official reporting is nothing, she lists the school does not rank. She does not list her rank, even if she unofficially knows it, if it’s not in her transcript
I don’t believe this is true. There are students who have the first study a hall of their HS career when they are seniors. We know kids from our kids’ classes in HS and more recently who were accepted at HYMSM and similar colleges even though they had a study hall.
And some of these excellent students also took electives like Culinary Arts their senior year also…or an art class…or music theory…etc.
Hmmm… I think most college admissions view study hall as a waste of time & an easy out to reject quickly & lighten their application workload. Your kids’ high school could be an exceptional case. In the case of Bluesky_99 's daughter, it is an enforced policy based on number of AP classes the student plans to take.
If a students opts to take a period of study hall senior year, there better be a good reason for it: after-school job, huge research project, illness of self or any immediate family members, travel time between different school campuses or to a dual enrollment class on-site at a local college. Most public high schools require that seniors register for a completely full schedule - usually 6, 7, or 8 year-long classes for purpose of state & local funding. If early exit is allowed, it is usually for half the day, requiring the senior to register for maybe 3 or 4 classes. Plus, there are also cases when the high school may offer some uncommon block schedule (e.g. 3x3 & 4x4), when a student takes a set of 3 or 4 classes in the fall and then a different set of 3 or 4 classes in the spring. A study hall during the spring likely wouldn’t matter much, at least for college admissions.
@Bluesky_99 I am a big fan of students also having time to actually enjoy their senior year of high school. There is so much to do with college applications, and all of the “lasts” they will be having that year.
Of you are concerned about this, please speak to your HS counselor. They will know whether this will be adverse in terms of colleges…or not.
And good luck to you. I’m sure you will land someplace great!
Taking broad claims at face value without context can be misleading, and making definitive statements without sources isn’t particularly helpful to applicants.
In reality, there are no universities that automatically reject an application simply for having a lighter senior schedule. And in the OP’s case, “lighter” is 5 AP’s.
In fact, many highly competitive high schools with exceptional college placement records actively encourage seniors to drop one class or take a free period. This gives students the time needed to manage college applications alongside demanding senior coursework. School context varies significantly, and what applies in one environment may not hold true in another.
If the study hall is a concern (personally I don’t see it as an issue) you can ask the guidance counselor to note that they are enrolled in a required study hall.
Ooh you beat me to it, ski. I was about to say that many students I knew used a free period to work on their college apps. Seems like a perfectly good use of the time.
Where are you getting this from??? Most of the top kids at our public HS took study hall in their senior year and 10 of them were accepted to Ivy League schools - and none took it for any of the reasons you listed.
