irisss
October 24, 2013, 3:36pm
95
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Taxguy:
Someone noted,“I disagree w/Taxguy. My kid is fortunate enough to go to the supposedly highest ranked HS in my state. It serves as a feeder school to one of the publics in the country (~72% admit rate for applicants from my kid’s school). The rep said if you have good test scores and a 3.6GPA, you’re in.”</p>
<p>Respone: Check out Yesdee’s prior post. Moreover, my daughter graduated from a very top high school. We did a Naviance check for SAT scores for kids that got into Ivy schools such as Brown. I always assumed that kids graduating from top high school would have a big edge. I was clearly wrong! Our kids needed 50-100 point higher SAT scores that that of other high schools that weren’t highly ranked. There is no question that it was harder to get into ivy schools from our high school than from lower ranked places. Thus, grades and scores trump almost everything. Moreover, some places place a LOT of emphasis on class ranking too. Thus, if a kid could have gotten into a top school like Thomas Jefferson High School, which is a nationally renown magnet school but chooses to go to their ordinary high school, they would probably have a better shot at a top college if they can not only get a very high GPA but get into the top percentile of their high school. From what I can tell , this would trump someone who gets a much lower class ranking and lower GPA from a top high school assuming SAT scores would be the same. For the naysayers who don’t believe me, just check out Naviance GPA and scores to get admitted to top colleges from top high schools vs. lower ranked high schools. Higher grades, plus higher class ranking plus> lower grades and lower class ranking , assuming same SATs. AT least this is my experience.
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<p>I think the number of students admitted must also be considered. In the area I live, top schools consistently have students admitted to top private schools every year, while average schools may have one every few years.</p>
<p>I also observe the ranking of students from different districts attending the same private tutoring classes. It is not unusual to see top student from less competitive school being tested and ranked outside of top 100 when ranked with students from very competitive schools.</p>