<p>You’re not technically competing against your classmates, but everything is considered in the perspective of where you go to school. When you apply to colleges, your counselor will submit a form that lists the highest GPA of any student in your class. Your counselor will also give a judgement on the rigor of your schedule compared to others in your school and your academic achievement. These things, along with previous data collected from your school, will help them know how to interpret your GPA.</p>