<p>This freshman year, I took all honors courses (basically the hardest course load in my grade) and I was wondering how my performance, reflected upon those of my peers, is something that HYPSM looks for.</p>
<p>Please note that I’m just asking if these are good enough grades (assuming, I am able to keep them up over the next 3 years) to merely be considered, as I understand that there is a “unofficial requirement” for having a least somewhat decent grades/standardized testing scores to even be considered without a hook.</p>
<p>So let the unveiling begin:</p>
<p>Of the 120 students in a top private boarding school on the East Coast, I probably stand around 4th or 5th in my class, in terms of level of classes and quality of grades. (This is all within decimal points). Also note that my school does NOT report class rank and does not record GPA on the 4.0 scale, but rather on the 100 point scale. In addition, there is a Cum Laude, of which normally consists of the top 5% of the class who takes hard classes and does well. However, this year there were 10 Cum Laude members, which exceeded the top five percentile. I’m not going to explain my ECs or my Leadership qualities, as I feel that they are unrelated to my objective.</p>
<p>The first semester, I received the following (all are weighted, except woodworking, with 3 extra points):</p>
<p>English 1 Honors - 95
Algebra 2 Honors 100
Biology Honors - 95
World History Honors - 94
Spanish 2 Honors - 95
Woodworking - 90</p>
<p>Overall, I believe the first marking period averaged out to be a low 94.5 and the second marking period a 95.2, with exams ending somewhere in between, of which I can’t seem to recall. I tanked woodworking.</p>
<p>The second semester (exam grades are still pending) I received the following for the third and fourth MPs.</p>
<p>MP 3 </p>
<p>English 1 Honors - 97
Algebra 2 Honors - 100
Biology Honors - 98
World History Honors - 94
Spanish 2 Honors - 98</p>
<p>Average was: 97.4%</p>
<p>MP 4
English 1 Honors - 97
Algebra 2 Honors - 100 (without honors points, but we don’t go above 100)
World History Honors - 94
Biology Honors - 95
Spanish 2 Honors - 96</p>
<p>Average was: 96.4%</p>
<p>So I’m really asking if my grades are strong enough to even be considered for any top school? I’m just asking if these are basically good enough, as long as I keep them up, for getting into top schools with a slew of many other things in the mix.</p>