<p>Our h.s. college guidance staff always emphasizes that colleges look at the nature of the course load; the more challenging the better. But of course,as they alwyas say, it is better to get an A in an honors course. (The Cum Laude Society isn’t just for the top 10 percent but the top 20, and at our school membership is based on other factors as well; kids in the top 10 percent but taking weaker schedules often do not get into Cum Laude, and kids with somewhat lower but still top 20 percent credentials and harder courses do, though sometimes not until senior year when it is too late to let the college admissions offices know). That said, I think colleges care very much about top decile; it counts in the USNWR rankings, alas.</p>