Is there anyway to figure out approximate class rank?

[Anonymous]

My child is a senior and we are wondering about their approximate class rank. Like all MCPS schools the exact rank isn’t available.

The school profile says that 19% of the class has a 4.51 or higher weighted GPA. The class has 385 students. My kid’s weighted GPA is 4.84. (Unweighted GPA is a 4.0 and 38% of class has a 3.51-4.0 unweighted).

Anyone know how the grades are usually distributed? I mean what percentage would you think would be over a 4.75? And why is this not reported! The 4.51 seems pretty useless.

[Anonymous]

No way to figure out. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, weighted GPA is strange when AP and honors count the same and everyone in honors. But, the way MCPS does the bands does not do the 4.0 kids any favors on college applications when other school systems rank.

Mcps does give an award to the top 5% at graduation and this seems to be all the kids with unweighted 4.0. This is after all college decisions are made.

[Anonymous]

It would be really helpful if there were a higher band than 4.51.

[Anonymous]

As PP noted, there is no way to determine this and it doesn't really matter. You put NA on college apps and the admissions officers will know roughly where in the class your child stands based on grades and rigor.
At graduation my DC did receive a certificate saying he graduated in top 5% of class, but that was the first and only indication we got. I think it has to be based on weighted though since far more than 5% graduate with an unweighted 4.0 at most MCPS schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As PP noted, there is no way to determine this and it doesn't really matter. You put NA on college apps and the admissions officers will know roughly where in the class your child stands based on grades and rigor.
At graduation my DC did receive a certificate saying he graduated in top 5% of class, but that was the first and only indication we got. I think it has to be based on weighted though since far more than 5% graduate with an unweighted 4.0 at most MCPS schools.

And that comes right before graduation. The Governors Award, or something.

[Anonymous]

There really isn’t a way to figure it out. You can guesstimate based on the GPAs that you see in Naviance from previous years.

But really, why does it matter? Since MCPS doesn’t make a distinction between AP and Honors, and there’s variety in rigor even between students taking a lot of APs, class rank does nothing to convey extra information about a student.

I think the student self reported academic record (SRAR) is a more useful tool to universities, because individual departments can create their own metrics as needed. UMD can use the SRAR if they want to determine “rank” between all the kids that apply, with whatever method they want to rank kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There really isn’t a way to figure it out. You can guesstimate based on the GPAs that you see in Naviance from previous years.

But really, why does it matter? Since MCPS doesn’t make a distinction between AP and Honors, and there’s variety in rigor even between students taking a lot of APs, class rank does nothing to convey extra information about a student.

I think the student self reported academic record (SRAR) is a more useful tool to universities, because individual departments can create their own metrics as needed. UMD can use the SRAR if they want to determine “rank” between all the kids that apply, with whatever method they want to rank kids.

Most colleges don’t use that. It would be helpful for colleges to know if students are in the top 10 or 5% or whatever. The top band should not be 4.51

[Anonymous]

38% have a 3.51 or higher?!?! LOL

How is this possible. No other school disctricy would have this

MCPS needs to give number grades or at the best least add + and - grades to GPA. Oh and stop their stupid chart grading that cheats everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way to figure out. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, weighted GPA is strange when AP and honors count the same and everyone in honors. But, the way MCPS does the bands does not do the 4.0 kids any favors on college applications when other school systems rank.

Mcps does give an award to the top 5% at graduation and this seems to be all the kids with unweighted 4.0. This is after all college decisions are made.

My daughters graduating year, there was 17% with unweighted 4.0 GPA

[Anonymous]

What does a 4.0 unweighted mean? All As? Not sure I understand the system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does a 4.0 unweighted mean? All As? Not sure I understand the system.

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does a 4.0 unweighted mean? All As? Not sure I understand the system.

Yes all As unweighted.

A 3.51 is not a high GPA in MCPS which is why the bands are useless.

The school has only 35% of students going to 4 year colleges. Another 30% going to 2 year colleges.

The bands are unhelpful because there is no way to see whether a GPA is high within the school and to distinguish among the college-bound students.

[Anonymous]

At some schools the top 4.51+ weighted band is more that 50% and the 3.51 unweighted band is greater than 75%. Gotta wonder what schools outside of Maryland make out of that.

[Anonymous]

If your school doesn't have a class rank there is literally zero ways to figure out where your kid would be in a rank.

Ask the counselor. They may have a secret list?