My 9th grade (first semester) year of high school, I took an art class (low level) I was interested in as opposed to taking a very weighted academic class. I honestly loved the art class. The teacher was amazing, the projects were engaging, and I actually learned so much about art. The reason I chose this art class was because I found it extremely interesting as opposed to doing math problems all day.
Now…I realized that that was a horrible mistake. Why? My school’s grading policy. Even though I received an A+ that semester, that only counts as a 4.33 in my school’s weighted grading system. That’s the same as a C+ in the higher level grading scale! This also means that because I took this art class, the majority of my grade probably is further than me in class rankings, even if they performed worse in their weighted class. I find this extremely unfair, and totally regret taking that art class, even though I loved it. In the future, I’ll be sure to stick to weighted academic classes as opposed to unweighted arts classes. It’s just horrible how just TAKING an art class will bring down your GPA, even if you did extremely well in the class.
Here’s the grading scale for high level academic classes:
A+ = 6.33
A = 6.00
A- = 5.66
B+ = 5.33
B = 5.00
B- = 4.66
C+ = 4.33
etc.
Here’s the scale for arts classes (music, writing, visual arts, etc.):
A+ = 4.33
A = 4.00
A- = 3.66
B+ = 3.33
B = 3.00
B- = 2.66
C+ = 2.33
etc.
Yes, there’s a TWO POINT DIFFERENCE! How much will this one semester art class affect my school life? Is valedictorian or a high class rank even possible now? I’ve always thought of myself as competitive, but this art class brings me down so much (even though I have all A’s in all my classes). I only hope that my class rank isn’t extremely damaged because of this. I don’t get why arts classes are weighted so low. I’ll be sure to never take any sort of arts class again and CHECK if a class is weighted high before enrolling in it. How is it possible for students to take classes they’re interested in AND do well in terms of class rankings? Will colleges think that because I took this art class, I did as well as a C student who took a more weighted class? Is there a way to drop that class somehow and take a more weighted academic class over the summer to fix this?
Sounds to me like you should be taking more art classes. . . . . I mean this sincerely. There’s so much more to life than GPA. Art especially teaches you to solve problems in various ways, literally from various angles. You need to work physically with space and materials to solve real-world problems. It’s extremely intellectual. It seems like you might do well to stretch yourself in that direction. Art is challenging–and fun! If you let it into your life you may find that art will inform and enhance your other academic subjects, if that remains your primary focus.
Do you like how nicely your iphone sits in your hand? If you have another brand that’s a knockoff, it owes it’s origin to iphone. We may not have such attractive and functional forward-pushing designs if Steve Jobs hadn’t dropped out of college and taken calligraphy seriously for an extended period. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOlRWg_iyWY
If that sounds too touchy-feely, you might be interested to find out that medical schools are attempting to find students who focus on art in addition to the regular premed courses. Why? Because practicing medicine not only is an art in itself, but the technical skills you acquire by doing things with your hands and by solving problems in art class help you become a better-skilled physician. http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2013/10/20/can-studying-art-help-medical-students-become-better-doctors/#65db96561b3f
You might want to ask your school how they average in the two scales. I’m sure they’ve dealt with this before. They probably have a solution worked out so that they don’t “ruin” students’ lives by lowering their GPAs by a minute fraction. From the school’s perspective they may term that differently. They may term it: not wanting to deter students from taking art, because they may recognize that art literally can save your life.
Did you know that most colleges and universities recalculate weighted GPAs according to their own criteria? Many remove the weighting entirely. You should take classes that you enjoy and do well in them.
Being the valedictorian or taking the most AP classes does not guarantee admission into the top schools.
A well-rounded, happy, less-stressed applicant might even fare better in the applications process. Think about it.
I would like to add that for many Colleges, a Visual/Performing arts course (year long) is a requirement to apply. Do not worry about the weighting. As mentioned above, colleges will usually recalculate your GPA based on their own weighting system. If you enjoy these courses, take them.
OMG, spare us the drama! You need a little perspective. No, you did not “ruin your life.”
With the exception of AP courses (which will require prior courses anyway), very very few HS’s offer honors versions of arts courses, or for that matter, PE, health, religion, etc. You are not at any disadvantage.
Additionally, there is no standard for weighting in American HS’s. The 2 point bump your school gives is very generous. But, as mentioned earlier, colleges will either look at your UW GPA, or will reweighs to their own parameters.
Maybe. Maybe not. At the end of the day, the only ones that will care about valedictorian are the valedictorian and maybe his/parent. Colleges will not care. They will reject a val as easily as someone lower ranked.
Not a bad reason at all. Even if a HS does not have art as a graduation requirement, or a college does not require art for admission, taking the class, which you enjoyed, adds another dimension. Few highly ranked US universities are looking to fill a class with pure academic drones.
I encouraged both my kids to take art all throughout high school - GPA be damned. To me, it was important they have a course that was completely different from AP Calc, AP English, and so on. D found a great creative outlet in photography, and her photography and sketching skills have unexpectedly proven valuable in her chosen major. S found throwing pots to be a great way to unwind, and the creativity he learned enhances his abilities in his mechanical engineering classes.
Life is not about being valedictorian. It saddens me that students (and some parents) think pursuing the most APs and the top GPA is more important than experiencing art, or music, or other classes that add dimension to you as a person even if they don’t provide the opportunity for the highest GPA.
What is your goal that you think this has “ruined your life”?
What a lot of people keep forgetting about college is that they like to see your interest and personality. Academics won’t show your personality well and art allow you to express yourself to them.