<p>I am so frustrated right now I could just scream. Aaaaargh! (that feels better…not really)</p>
<p>Anyway, S just got home from “career day” at his school. They were all given a copy of their most recent transcript. S was ranked (as of Oct 2004) 1 of 459. Now he is 5 of 461. Still good I know, but this is the reason he is lower:
His school is on a block schedule. 4 classes each day (a and b days). The kids who are LDS (and keep in mind we’re in southern Idaho!!!) can opt to go to seminary so this cuts a class from their schedule…I’m not sure if they do that every day or every other. Anyway, this is how it works: S has 2 AP classes which his school just started weighting this year. So his gpa is determined based on 8 classes w/ 2 APs. The LDS kids who he compared notes with have the same APs as he does, but a slightly higher gpa because theirs is based on 7 classes w/ 2 APs. </p>
<p>I am just steaming mad about this. We are not about to convert to the LDS religion, so what are his options? I plan to call/write the school district, but I wonder if anyone here has any experience with something like this already and has any input…</p>
<p>Thanks in advance. Both for any possible input and for listening to my rant!! :mad:</p>
<p>I know exactly what it’s like to be annoyed about class rank. I go to two schools: one’s a normal high school (which keeps track of my grades, etc.) and the other is a Math and Science Center where we take more difficult courses with kids from all over the area. At the end of junior year, my GPA was 3.9583 UW, and my rank was 19 out of 254 at my home school. Well, after first semester this year, my GPA went to a 3.9643 UW GPA, but my rank stayed at 19 but now in a class of 246. That slightly just hurt my ego if not anything else. I guess the only thing that annoyed me wass the fact that for all I know, some of them (I only say some because I know a few of them that do take the harder courses with me and also work their tails off) may have been taking easier courses and getting the higher marks. Oh well. I guess that’s just the unfairness of life. I just hope that the colleges look at my GPA and the strength of my curriculum more so than they do my rank (pretty please?).</p>
<p>DDM (your name’s too long), I would suggest that you figure out a solution before you complain to anyone. I’m not sure how you would calculate it out differently. That’s not that I don’t feel sympathy, because it doesn’t seem right, but I think that’s how our school calculates it also. </p>
<p>Barrons, that’s a pretty harsh response for a new poster. You know he’s not going to drop a class. If you can’t say something nice…</p>
<p>It is irritating that you can change your class schedule because of religion. Is it a LDS school, or public. If it was public it would really irritate me. If it is an LDS school, than, there isn’t much to do as that is the deal. My D goes to a Jesuit school and they have to take 3 years of religion. So they can’t take some fun classes or an extra AP. But it is what we have. The good thing is that everyone in the school, Catholic or not, must take the classes, so everything is balanced. </p>
<p>What I find funny is that the subsequent posted made no mention of that. What if they let you out of test on Good Friday? Or Yom Kippur? Or Church of the Sun God? Whatever. The only thing that would balance it out is that your S will have a much stronger transcript. Just out of curiosity, is it just boys that go to the seminary?</p>
<p>Ummm, the whole student body has 8 classes. Thought I made that clear :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Must be LDS ;)</p>
<p>LDS=Mormon</p>
<p>citygirlsmom: no, it’s a regular public school. I don’t have a problem with them going to seminary (I think both genders go)…I just don’t think they should have the choice to drop a class for it and then have it work to their advantage in figuring GPAs. Most of them want to go to BYU or Ricks college anyway, so no competition there!</p>
<p>I would just be irritated that because of religion, they get a break at school. And during school time.Why not after school? Would they let kids off for sports, or a play, or for work? I doubt it. Isn’t there some sort of rule about hours in school, etc? I guess not in Idaho. </p>
<p>I get a bit uppity when stuff like this happens. But my rant is done ; )</p>
<p>Actually, they do get out early for work (some kind of work-release program?), and the same thing happens as far as figuring gpas with them. (only 7 classes rather than 8)</p>
<p>okay, frustrating. But with the full schedule your S has, you know he will do fine. The GPA thing is like a knat flying around, being irriatating. All you can know, is that soon, your S will be in the big world having a blast!!!</p>
<p>DDm, Probably you should just register the comment neutrally, not angrily, with your son’s GC. Let him know that you’d like for this rank quirk to be explained in the GC’s letter to colleges: </p>
<p>something like “please note that though candidate’s class rank is 5, 4 candidates who rank higher are, due to their religious faith, excused from 8th period; their grades thus weight differently & in their favor. If candidate also dropped 8th period class, his rank would be #1” </p>
<p>That way, it should not wind up working against him.</p>
<p>DDM: Our school had their own version of a compromise, which you might suggest. It probably won’t help your child, but administration might consider it for future years. Students who had study halls were getting higher GPA’s than students who took an elective (different circumstances than yours, but the same results). So, they introduced a credit / no credit option. You would get credit for taking the extra course, but could option that it not be included in your GPA. You could make this choice for any non-required course. There were many rules, and this policy had it’s own set of problems, but it did serve to solve the extra course vs. GPA problem. If you want more info., send a PM, and I’ll spell out more of the rules.</p>
<p>SBmom, that’s a great idea to have the GC write that explanation.
kjofkw: I may take you up on that!</p>
<p>I think the biggest bummer for S is that he was on track to be valedictorian and now he won’t even be salut. Believe me, he is just as upset about this than I am (if not more). And the school is not 100% mormon, so I’m sure other parents could be ticked about it too. </p>
<p>It is a bummer about Valedictorian. All he can do, is know inside how good he is for himself. Its not the same, but that which does not kill you only makes you stronger!! Okay probably doesn’t help much. He just needs to focus on college goals.</p>
<p>At my D.s middle school, one girl will be Val with a 99.9 average. We ALL know there was some major grade padding going on. My D would get points off for missed commas and this other girl was forgiven. I just told my D that she will be better prepared for high school because she earned her grades. And she had a life. So when this girl goes up and gives the Val speech, my D will be like, okay. This to shall pass.</p>
<p>If this is a big deal to you Id take it up with the school and if all else fails Id call one of the local TV stations that just love sticking it to people that do things that are perceived to be unfair.</p>
<p>We have the same problem with things like study hall, newspaper and yearbook which don’t get any credit. Our AP’s are weighted at 6 points, so a student with an A in all 5 AP’s gets a 6.0, while a student with A’s in 5 AP’s and an A in band or computer, etc. which are not weighted has a lower GPA. I would also like to know about the system at kjokfw’s school.</p>
<p>DDM,
You will hear a lot worse gpa/val/sal stories than yours. In fact if you do a val. search, there were some sad ones.
At our H.S., if you have spent all 4 years in the school, everything counts in your gpa calculation. However, for new students who transfer in for soph/ju/sen or even ju/sen, only those 3 or 2 years count. Guess who the top 5 students are? Yep, people that moved here later. Who got to take only Hons and APs.
I was going to make a scene, but then let it go, and directed my energy to helping my D with college-search. She has gotten accepted into amazing schools so far, and we have just gotten past those issues.
Of course, a lot of State schools will throw $$ at the vals and sals, and that would be my concern for someone that was counting on that. And if this is going to affect your son in more serious ways than King for a Day, I would go for it. Get other parents in on it, as there is strength in numbers, but at the same time don’t go looking for a fight. Draft your petitions when you are calmed down, and in a happy frame of mind. Win them with logic, not argument.</p>