Do colleges look at where you went to High School?

[Anonymous]

A friend just told me about a website that ranks high schools on a scale of 1-5
http://www.schooldigger.com
She said that colleges use this to assess your school/transcript.

Normally, I wouldn't care, but DD is considering transferring from a well ranked Fairfax high school on this list (23) that offers AP courses to a much lower ranked school (284) that offers IB.

If it was a small difference, I wouldn't think much of it, but that seems to be a huge difference. This is based solely on math and English SOL scores, btw.

Help!

[Anonymous]

Of course they do.

[Anonymous]

They definitely consider where you went to high school. However, going to a great school doesn't get you in to the colleges much easier (sometimes when there are too many great applicants from a single school, it can hurt your individual chances).

These rankings allow colleges to compare your 3.9 GPA to someone else's 3.9 GPA. Getting a great GPA from a crummy school will do less for you than getting a great GPA from an academically more rigorous school.

[Anonymous]

Yes, of course, but if you're talking about two schools within FCPS, I personally think they will consider those more or less equal and focus on quality of courseload. If you take the most advanced classes available at Annandale, for example, I personally don't think it would disadvantage you versus taking the most advanced classes at Langley. It would perhaps even advantage you because your class rank would likely be higher at Annandale and you would have fewer classmates aiming for highly selective colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A friend just told me about a website that ranks high schools on a scale of 1-5
http://www.schooldigger.com
She said that colleges use this to assess your school/transcript.

Normally, I wouldn't care, but DD is considering transferring from a well ranked Fairfax high school on this list (23) that offers AP courses to a much lower ranked school (284) that offers IB.

If it was a small difference, I wouldn't think much of it, but that seems to be a huge difference. This is based solely on math and English SOL scores, btw.

Help!

I think it would be an advantage to come from a 1 school with high SAT scores instead of coming from a 5 school with the same SAT scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, of course, but if you're talking about two schools within FCPS, I personally think they will consider those more or less equal and focus on quality of courseload. If you take the most advanced classes available at Annandale, for example, I personally don't think it would disadvantage you versus taking the most advanced classes at Langley. It would perhaps even advantage you because your class rank would likely be higher at Annandale and you would have fewer classmates aiming for highly selective colleges.

No class ranking in FCPS, except in special circumstances and then they have a formula based on GPA and release only to the 10th percentile.

[Anonymous]

Colleges review applicant's app and transcript within the context of applicant's high school. The Adcom will have school profile. It is important to remember though, they use this info to evaluate student's performance and NOT compare one HS with another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges review applicant's app and transcript within the context of applicant's high school. The Adcom will have school profile. It is important to remember though, they use this info to evaluate student's performance and NOT compare one HS with another.

OP here. I was just thinking that it seems very unfair to kids that can't afford private school or living in economically disadvantaged areas with less resources and therefore underperforming schools. But what you just said seems to make some sense.

FWIW, the schools are Chantilly vs. South Lakes. I'll take any opinions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it would be an advantage to come from a 1 school with high SAT scores instead of coming from a 5 school with the same SAT scores.

It's really the GPA that they are evaluating by looking at the differences in schools. A good SAT score is a good SAT score, no matter what the ranking of your high school. In fact, having a good SAT score can be even more impressive when the student has attended a lower ranking school. The colleges will assume the applicant from the lower ranking school had to work harder and probably did not have access to expensive prep classes and tutors.

[Anonymous]

My neighbor's kid was homeschooled and had a perfect ACT test score, got a 4 year scholarship to the school of his choice. His mailbox was filled daily with requests from colleges offering him a place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it would be an advantage to come from a 1 school with high SAT scores instead of coming from a 5 school with the same SAT scores.

It's really the GPA that they are evaluating by looking at the differences in schools. A good SAT score is a good SAT score, no matter what the ranking of your high school. In fact, having a good SAT score can be even more impressive when the student has attended a lower ranking school. The colleges will assume the applicant from the lower ranking school had to work harder and probably did not have access to expensive prep classes and tutors.

You are contradicting yourself. Your 2nd point agrees with my point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges review applicant's app and transcript within the context of applicant's high school. The Adcom will have school profile. It is important to remember though, they use this info to evaluate student's performance and NOT compare one HS with another.

OP here. I was just thinking that it seems very unfair to kids that can't afford private school or living in economically disadvantaged areas with less resources and therefore underperforming schools. But what you just said seems to make some sense.

FWIW, the schools are Chantilly vs. South Lakes. I'll take any opinions.

I'd be surprised if a student was at a disadvantage for attending South Lakes rather than Chantilly, except that I think AP students have an advantage over IB students because they can take more AP tests before they apply to schools than IB students, who take many tests at the end of their senior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it would be an advantage to come from a 1 school with high SAT scores instead of coming from a 5 school with the same SAT scores.

It's really the GPA that they are evaluating by looking at the differences in schools. A good SAT score is a good SAT score, no matter what the ranking of your high school. In fact, having a good SAT score can be even more impressive when the student has attended a lower ranking school. The colleges will assume the applicant from the lower ranking school had to work harder and probably did not have access to expensive prep classes and tutors.

You are contradicting yourself. Your 2nd point agrees with my point.

Sorry, you're right! I read too fast and then wrote too fast. I was reading it that a 1 is better than a 5. Mea culpa!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My neighbor's kid was homeschooled and had a perfect ACT test score, got a 4 year scholarship to the school of his choice. His mailbox was filled daily with requests from colleges offering him a place.

That has to do with the perfect ACT score, not the fact that he was homeschooled or anything like that. A kid who went to a top high school and scored perfect on the ACT would have the same experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My neighbor's kid was homeschooled and had a perfect ACT test score, got a 4 year scholarship to the school of his choice. His mailbox was filled daily with requests from colleges offering him a place.

That has to do with the perfect ACT score, not the fact that he was homeschooled or anything like that. A kid who went to a top high school and scored perfect on the ACT would have the same experience.

So would a kid who went to a lower ranked high school. A lot of colleges will be very interested in a high achiever who went to a school that doesn't have all the advantages.