<p>“Actually, a few of you may remember the controversy surrounding her graduation from 2004…but she was #1 on her final transcript even though she had to let #2 be the val. at commencement.”</p>
<p>A good example of why schools should not report precise class rank. Student, parent, and staff energy devoted to such a controversy is IMO energy not well spent. Nor is it healthy IMO that there may be bitter, triumphalist, and/or self-justificatory feelings about the results of the controversy that last years after the actual event.</p>
<p>“the class rank accurately reflected that she had taken the toughest course load (weighted for honors and AP classes)” </p>
<p>Precise class rank is unnecessary to demonstrate that the toughest load was taken.</p>
<p>Minute differences in GPA are not IMO indicative of meaningful differences in actual performance in school or of future success in life. It is therefore inappropriate and counterproductive IMO to mislead parents and students into thinking and acting as if they were.</p>