For students who took 12 AP- gpa vs rigor?

[Anonymous]

Son taking about 12 APs by end of senior year. Has taken or is taking the ones that are deemed most difficult by his counselor, including : AP Chem, AP physics c, AP Calc bc, AP comp gov, AP us history, both AP English options, etc, doubled up on sciences and math courses for 11th and 12th, took no typical electives except the 1 art and 1 PE required for graduation.
He has been a peer tutor in science, is a president of an academic club at school, and has other ECs that are positive and give a strong sense of his personality and drive. His weighted GPA is high above 4.0, but unweighted is Projected to be 3.65
He has a 34 ACT.

***Question:
Given the rigor of his courses can not be doubted (this is the wording of his counselor) will this give more forgiveness for his “lower” unweighted GPA.

***If he takes the ACT again to try to get higher than a 34 do you think that would help in a significant way?

Not trying for Ivy type schools, more like the Maine schools, Carleton, Haverford, Wesleyan?, Brown (as a high reach), and then Pitt as a likely?
Interested in humanities and sciences.
Need more to add as targets and likely.

Full pay male applicant.

Please be kind. And don’t say that everyone takes these classes because they don’t at his school (according to a counselor at his school )which is a close-in MD well regarded public.

***If you child had very high rigor illustrated by their transcript but a unweighted gpa that was 3.6/ 3.7 do you think that the intensity and difficulty of coursework was taken into account when they applied to selective LAC?

[Anonymous]

I have a kid at one of the top high schools in America where average GPA is 3.7. And dozens of kids below that number go to top 20 colleges.

1. You need to take the AP exams and get mostly 5s for this to be impressive. 12 5s would indeed be impressive.

2. You need to look at school profile to find out average GPA

[Anonymous]

It's alla sliding scale as you move down the rankings of competitive admissiona.

If he got 5s on the AP exams, the Bs would be less of a demerit. B and <4 would mean he didn't really learn a 4-year university level class, but did learn an honors level high school class.

The Bs are more acceptable if they are not in the courses where his intended major area is (STEM vs Humanities)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid at one of the top high schools in America where average GPA is 3.7. And dozens of kids below that number go to top 20 colleges.

1. You need to take the AP exams and get mostly 5s for this to be impressive. 12 5s would indeed be impressive.

2. You need to look at school profile to find out average GPA

Can't get 5s on senior year courses before admissions, unless you do gap year.

[Anonymous]

Thank you! I find it frustrating looking at the school profile online as it gives no insight into the average level of rigor, just the gpas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid at one of the top high schools in America where average GPA is 3.7. And dozens of kids below that number go to top 20 colleges.

1. You need to take the AP exams and get mostly 5s for this to be impressive. 12 5s would indeed be impressive.

2. You need to look at school profile to find out average GPA

Can't get 5s on senior year courses before admissions, unless you do gap year.

True

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid at one of the top high schools in America where average GPA is 3.7. And dozens of kids below that number go to top 20 colleges.

1. You need to take the AP exams and get mostly 5s for this to be impressive. 12 5s would indeed be impressive.

2. You need to look at school profile to find out average GPA

Can't get 5s on senior year courses before admissions, unless you do gap year.

True

Okay but let’s see test scores from the years you do have. If you’re saying 6 out of the 12 are taken now, then no, this isn’t an especially meaningful. Junior year most meaningful. Freshman least.

[Anonymous]

The frustrating thing is the answers are a moving target. On any given year, a particular college could decide they really want the new class to have a higher GPA. Or that they are willing to sacrifice GPA that year for more artistic kids. OK, that may be unlikely, but you get my point- the criteria are set after your kid makes their choices and has their results.

[Anonymous]

Ivies and Hopkins report unweighted GPA average of accepted students to be 3.9-3.98.

Most colleges will recalculate a weighted GPA.

If he’s showing 5 on AP exams and can raise that ACT score a point he will do better.

[Anonymous]

I would think less about the GPA and more about grades + rigor (I know, it’s supposed to be the same). Separate them in your mind. The aggressive weighting method of MCPS gives many, many students sky-high GPAs. For example, the school profile for Walter Johnson says 25% of students have above a 4.5. To me, that’s crazy.

The top schools want high rigor and almost all As. Your son has a great ACT and great rigor. I’d just look for more actual targets. I feel like you have a list of low and high reaches plus Pitt. You need more schools in the middle. (Skidmore? Etc)

[Anonymous]

You child will be a strong competitive applicant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Son taking about 12 APs by end of senior year. Has taken or is taking the ones that are deemed most difficult by his counselor, including : AP Chem, AP physics c, AP Calc bc, AP comp gov, AP us history, both AP English options, etc, doubled up on sciences and math courses for 11th and 12th, took no typical electives except the 1 art and 1 PE required for graduation.
He has been a peer tutor in science, is a president of an academic club at school, and has other ECs that are positive and give a strong sense of his personality and drive. His weighted GPA is high above 4.0, but unweighted is Projected to be 3.65
He has a 34 ACT.

***Question:
Given the rigor of his courses can not be doubted (this is the wording of his counselor) will this give more forgiveness for his “lower” unweighted GPA.

***If he takes the ACT again to try to get higher than a 34 do you think that would help in a significant way?

Not trying for Ivy type schools, more like the Maine schools, Carleton, Haverford, Wesleyan?, Brown (as a high reach), and then Pitt as a likely?
Interested in humanities and sciences.
Need more to add as targets and likely.

Full pay male applicant.

Please be kind. And don’t say that everyone takes these classes because they don’t at his school (according to a counselor at his school )which is a close-in MD well regarded public.

***If you child had very high rigor illustrated by their transcript but a unweighted gpa that was 3.6/ 3.7 do you think that the intensity and difficulty of coursework was taken into account when they applied to selective LAC?

Only if your FC is not Asian.

[Anonymous]

How many B’s in those AP classes?
A full pay male is a very attractive candidate. If you are looking at schools outside the top 25, then he has a shot. You have to apply ED to top schools, and be strategic with your other choices.

Put a lot of effort into essays.

[Anonymous]

My kid had similar stats, took most rigorous coursework, had strong EC (think national competitions and selective summer camps), had the same ACT, but their unweighted GPA was slighted higher than yours. They didn't do internship or off campus research but they expressed interest in science and humanities in their applications. They got in all LAC's in T10-20 and one top 5 LAC. WL at Chicago and one T5 Ivy. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid at one of the top high schools in America where average GPA is 3.7. And dozens of kids below that number go to top 20 colleges.

1. You need to take the AP exams and get mostly 5s for this to be impressive. 12 5s would indeed be impressive.

2. You need to look at school profile to find out average GPA

Impressive!