<p>Here is some information taken from Notre Dame’s website (as an example):</p>
<p>"What GPA do I need to be competitive for admission to Notre Dame?</p>
<p>Many schools use different GPA scales and computation methods, so it is difficult to give standardized information regarding Grade Point Averages. We do not recalculate GPAs for our admissions decisions. Instead, we rely much more heavily on class rank when determining how competitive a student is within his/her school. Competitive students are near the top of their class, no matter how their GPA is computed.</p>
<p>What kind of credentials do I need to be competitive in the applicant pool?</p>
<p>Admission to the University is competitive. Admissible students possess strong academic records and are usually ranked at or near the top of their high school class. The average student admitted for the class of 2011 was ranked in the top 5% of his or her graduating class. "</p>
<p>And this isn’t about a trade-off between a music class and a higher-level honors class, it is about taking a music class or any other class vs. a study hall!</p>
<p>I would hope admissions counselors realize that if they recalculate GPA’s using their own formula, that the high school rankings they emphasize were based on the very GPA’s they feel the need to recalculate! And colleges love to brag about the high percentage of incoming freshman that are in the top 5% or 10% of their high schools!</p>