@LOUKYDAD however, they do look at class rank
Wow, nice to see this thread took off!
@LOUKYDAD what I’ve learned this past year is that it’s almost impossible to compare GPA, not only do HS’s calculate it differently, so do the colleges you are applying to! Colleges will take the transcripts and run it the way they want to run it… Also, @snowfairy137 many HS’s do not report class rank at all. The transcripts will speak for themselves!
Agree
If a student must take an SAT for a qualifying score for NMF, but wanted to use her ACT score to send to colleges, will the college see the SAT score too (assuming that student must send SAT subject tests for certain colleges)? D has no time to prepare for an SAT and would never take it if not required for NMF. Frustrating when we don’t even know if she will qualify for NMSF. March is the only time SAT will fit and she won’t score well with no practice. Thank you.
@Kayak3 the qualifying SAT score will not be very high; if your D is a NMSF, I doubt she’d need to study much for the SAT. For the class of 2017, if memory serves, the cutoff is a 206 selection index (calculated the same way as for the PSAT). Commended is 209.
When registering for the SAT, just have the scores sent to NMSC, and not to any schools. When you send SAT subject test scores, you can use score choice to select exactly which test scores go to which schools.
@Kayak3 S is the same boat as your D. Has never taken SAT and probably would not have but for NM. He also has to take the ACT again in March as they make all juniors take it in KY.
On the bright side, hopefully it will be the last time on both. Reasonably satisfied with previous ACT, so as long as SAT is high enough for confirming he can be done.
S17 took SAT and ended up only sending it to NMSC. He sent ACT to all his schools and select SAT subject test to some schools. He self reported all 4 SAT subject tests since he did well, but some schools ask for 2 and some ask for none with ACT, some ask for none - it varies. There are a few selective schools that require all SAT/ACT tests be sent if you send any.
@MA2012 , That’s what I was afraid of. Some schools require ALL scores be sent if you take them. I know this SAT will work against her with no practice. She was fortunate enough to score a 35 ACT composite on her first ACT, so I would rather have that stand alone than have a much lower SAT score in the mix. Bummer.
Look carefully at the schools’ wording when they say “all scores must be sent.” I’ve read somewhere on CC that often the meaning is “if you submit an ACT score, you must send all ACT scores,” and same for SAT. I’m not sure what that means with SAT/Subject tests though. Again, look carefully at the wording on the schools’ websites.
Edit:
Here’s what Stanford says on the matter:
“Required Testing
The ACT with Writing or the SAT with Essay is required. Official scores from all test dates must be sent to Stanford directly from the ACT or the College Board (the reporting agency for the SAT) or both if the applicant has taken the ACT and the SAT. Applicants may not use the College Board’s Score Choice feature or “hide” any scores with either testing agency.”
So yes, you’d have to submit everything to them. #-o
True, but these rules only apply to a very few schools really
I think I’ve seen a list of schools that require all scores - it is a short list. Will try to find it again later.
Speaking of ranking and GPA, my junior’s class is the last class to have an honors/AP/DE boost in their GPA. Currently students taking those classes not only get extra weight, but a forgiving grading scale (as someone mentioned above, the grade categories are a little lower to account for course difficulty). Now they keep the forgiving grade scale but lose the boost.
I don’t even know what my daughter’s unweighted GPA is … the only GPA I know is the one that appears on the transcripts and that’s clearly weighted since it’s over a 4.0.
The class that gave her conniptions sophomore year was honors chemistry. The teacher was nice, but less than capable in teaching. Her tests bore no resemblance to anything they went over in class - my daughter would be confident she understood things, and then bomb the test. A curve was always in place. She gratefully took a B for the year. She decided to not take AP Chem this year (thank God) and is happily taking anatomy. Next year dual enrollment physics and AP calculus, which a lot of people say are a waste for a prospective nursing student but she wants to take them and if nothing else they will make her stand out (fingers crossed).
You sometimes see ads on college campuses for undergraduates to work as ‘GPA calculators’, where they generate either an uneweighted GPA or a GPA according to the college’s scheme, from the transcripts of applicants.
So in applying to colleges, that GPA we’ve been told all along is kind of … useless? Inflationary? Deceiving?
Gosh, that’s the only thing we have to go on. How would we be able to tell if our kids are in the hunt?
@bearcatfan they are in the hunt with a combination of UW GPA, W GPA, and solid test scores. The weighted GPA is absolutely a factor and good indication of rigor - just make sure it accompanies a solid unweighted GPA. Since weighting methods vary widely between schools, most colleges will recalculate GPAs anyways. There are some colleges that say they accept WGPA if on the transcript so that can work in your favor (e.g., Bama, IU, etc.).
@mommdc,@Suzy100,@paveyourpath, thank you all for your input. Yes, she did take regular Biology as a freshman and she loved it. I am just surprised to hear that she is even thinking twice about taking AP bio, teachers do make a difference! I am crossing my fingers and waiting to see what she will decide. Making things difficult, she toured 2-3 state schools and is not interested in looking at colleges anymore, she wants wait until she gets her SAT score. So no spring break schedule is made yet…
As far as dual enrollment vs. AP goes for our school district, often times the AP is harder than the CC dual enrollment class. DE/Online/Summer School do not count in the GPA. That is annoying to me because we are in TX. I know kids that take a few DE/Online classes, specifically because they do not think they will do well in the HS class, earn a passing “C” and but are still ranked in the top 10%, thereby solidifying their TX auto admit, while my kiddo taking all AP/Honors classes, earning an occasional B in an AP/Honors class at the HS is sitting at the 11.7% mark. I suppose we could have/should have gamed the system but we didn’t.
Unweighted GPA are not listed anywhere on our online grade system or on the report card, the only place to find it is on the actual transcript, for which you have to make a special request. That is just silly to me. When I asked why the unweighted 4.0 scale GPA was not easily available I was told “It is too confusing for some people”. But then again this is from the same school that seems to think there is no reason to apply to an OOS school.
Class rank came out last week. D18 moved up 2 slots, but still 11 places out of the top 10%, so frustrating. Course selection for next year starts this week. On her agenda is
Online over the summer : US Government/Econ (although I think she should just take it during the regular school year as AP classes).
AP Stats or AP Calc AB (weighted)
AP English IV/Lit (weighted)
AP European History (weighted)
Forensics (unweighted)
Sociology/ Reel America Film Study (unweighted)
Varsity Cheer (unweighted)
(still have one open period…)
D18 is thinking of majoring in Sociology with a possible criminal justice/law career in her future. I think AP Statistics will be more useful than AP Calc AB down the line. I also think AP Chem or AP Biology over the unweighted Forensics class, but with the criminal justice possibility I can see the value in the forensics class, if even simply for career exploration purposes. With the above schedule she will graduate with 9 AP courses, so I am on the fence as to the value of taking any more AP classes (ie. AP Gov/AP Econ/AP “Science”) and at this point it is unlikely she will move up the 11 places to top 10%.
Common App Prompts for our year are up!
our* lol
Maybe with a few more questions, some schools will eliminate the extra essays!