<p>When D is asked about her GPA at interviews, should she bother to explain her GPA partly reflects that her school is more rigorous than average (if the interviewer knows the reputation of the school and/or has interviewed other kids, they’ll already know this), they have an unfortunate grading system where only 93% and above is an A, etc. and if she went to a standard high school, she’d have ~4.0… or will this be seen as whiny and making excuses? Should she let the interviewer/school figure out the deal with GPAs from this particular school on their own? Should she state her GPA as uw (which it is, we don’t know what it is weighted), or leave that to their calculations as well?</p>
<p>I believe the main point of an interview is to add depth to the student & share info. Most of the info about the caliber of the school will be shared by the HS college counselor with the colleges, including a profile which shows GPAs at their HS (depending on how many/few from the HS attend the college in question, the college may already have impressions about the HS).</p>
<p>It might be worthwhile to touch on GPA BRIEFLY, but definitely spend the bulk of the interview talking about the fit between the college & D (what she’ll bring to campus, what she hopes to accomplish at this specific college, etc.) The HS college counselor can provide additional advice.</p>
<p>One more word about GPAs–I wouldn’t obsess about it. It is what it is & many colleges recognize that it’s only ONE factor. My son’s weighted GPA was 3.8 or so but he got in to many excellent colleges & received generous merit aid only awards, including 1/2 tuition at two schools and a full-ride at a 2 other schools. (Yes, his standardized test scores & AP scores were outstanding & yes, he had some good ECs & decent recs.)</p>
<p>I think, if directly asked, your D should definitely mention that her school is a rigorous one and therefore results in grade deflation. As you pointed out though, if it’s that well-known, there shouldn’t be any explanation needed anyway. </p>
<p>As a general rule though, I think there are ways to explain issues with grades subtlely in the interview without directly saying it. Mentioning things like “Even though I knew taking a hard science course in such a competitive environment was a risk, I am very passionate about physics and think College X would be perfect for me…” or “It’s funny, because the text we used turned out to be the same one you use in your (upper level college course), but I still think the department has a lot to offer in terms of…” If you twist the questions they give you (why do you like our school, what’s been the most difficult thing in your life, what was a risk you took) to also explain your transcript, they’ll get it.</p>
<p>They will know by her class rank and the school profile how rigorous the school is. Also, rigorous schools are well known at top colleges.</p>
<p>IMO, Some schools do not care how rigorous the high school is. I can tell you that for merit aid some colleges have a chart, and x gpa and y sat score entitles the student to z dollars. The type of hs is not considered at all.</p>
<p>While it is true that SOME colleges don’t care how rigorous the school you attended is/was, others DO know about the differences among HSs & take it into consideration in admissions & merit aid decisions. The HS college counselor would know which colleges your schools has especially good relationships with, that understand the rigor of your school.</p>
<p>93% for an A is rigorous? That’s how it is at almost every school in my district and the local uni and Duke…if that’s the only reason that your D doesn’t have a 4.0 then I don’t think any explanations are necessary. If the college your D is applying to has the same grading system (ie 93 for an A, 90 for A-, etc etc) mentioning that might be counterproductive.</p>
<p>PS: Sorry if I sounded a bit harsh, it was completely unintentional, I was just trying to say that that shouldn’t be counted as rigorous.</p>
<p>Himom, the gcs in our hs do know who gets into which schools, but they do not keep track of either merit or financial award packages. My S is in a public school, and believe me, they don’t have time to look at this kind of information. They can say that someone with similar stats has been accepted to a school, or that one has a reasonable chance of gaining admission, but that is about it.</p>
<p>Yeah, rigorous would seem to be when the teacher insists on a curve & even tho everyone in the class gets nearly everything right in the class & the class wins the national competition, the teacher has to fit the class to the curve. Fortunately, my kids’ school doesn’t force the teachers to apply a curve…if everyone learns the material & does great, everyone can get an A (& yes, they won the national economics competition for the 2nd year in a row).</p>
<p>Her school’s grading standard is what most schools in the country use. And (most) colleges don’t care about weighted GPA.</p>
<p>I think that what also makes a hs more rigorous are the students that are in the classes. You might go to a hs where the majority of students are from homes that value learning highly, and push their children to focus on their education. There are other districts where families move in and out, or where education is not necessarily a priority. There are districts that have a high percentage of students that do not go to college, but may go to trade school.</p>
<p>My HS is a science and math charter school with a very selective admissions process so I guess it’s pretty rigorous in terms of the learning environment.</p>
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<p>Umm… o_O I go to a mediocre public school that has this exact grading system. In fact, most schools do.</p>
<p>Hmm. I agree with a lot of the posters. Don’t make it a major point to discuss in the interview, but try lightly addressing it without sounding too whiny, as you/her feared. I think the 93%/A is standard at most schools, so I wouldn’t bring that up. Perhaps she could say something like, “Although my grade point average slightly suffered from taking the most rigorous classes offered at my competitive school, I feel I have greatly benefited and grown from the experience.” And then explain why. That you way, you touch on: the gpa is not TOO off, rigorous coursework, competition at your school, and you twist it to turn into a positive.</p>