<p>I believe this is actually pretty common. So much so that adcoms understand and take it into account. I’ve seen it called “grade grubbing” and “score whoring.”</p>
<p>My own son is currently out of the top 10% because he takes extra music and foreign language. (By graduation he’ll have 6 credits FL and 5 music.) Those are only graded on a 4.0 scale. Accordingly, his WGPA is “only” 4.0 (UW 3.6). He’s 43/318. Kids who stop FL and arts when they meet the minumum can then load up on APs and increase their GPAs. </p>
<p>So, Son’s GPA is lower than if he traded courses he loves (FL & music) for high-scale APs and honors. But, that’s OK. His schedule demonstrates passion. That’s important, too. </p>
<p>Don’t sweat it. Schools recalculate the GPAs anyway.</p>