Phillips Andover Overhauls Grading Scheme To Give Majority Of Students 4.0+ GPAs

[Anonymous]

Phillips Academy Andover, arguably America's most prestigious boarding school, overhauled their grading practices to give most students a perfect GPA. In the 2022-2023 profile, Andover request college admissions officers to convert a 5.0/6.0 GPA to a 4.0 GPA. They tell college admissions officers to convert a 6.0/6.0 GPA to a 4.3 GPA. This means that over 70% of Andover seniors graduate with at least a 4.0 unweighted GPA, mirroring the practices of many public schools.

A grade of "5" now counts as "superior" and 6 is now "outstanding"

Andover 2022-23 Profile: https://www.andover.edu/files/Profile20222023.pdf

The 2019 profile did not contain any of this guidance. Furthermore, there were far less students graduating with a 5.8+ GPA. The old conversion would have most Andover students graduating with a 3.4-3.5 GPA, a death-knell for unhooked kids applying to T20 schools.

Andover 2019 profile: https://www.andover.edu/files/CCOProfileBrochure2018-2019.pdf

It seems like Andover is acknowledging the new reality of college admissions in which URM/legacy has far, far less weight than before due to the SCOTUS decision and societal pressures against privilege. They're changing the grading practices so their students aren't penalized trying to get into the most elite colleges.

Perhaps DC schools should do the same.

[Anonymous]

I'm honestly glad they're finally doing this. We all know that a 5.2/6.0 from Andover means much, much more than all the 4.3 GPAs coming out from inner city public schools.

[Anonymous]

If everyone has straight A’s, then no one does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If everyone has straight A’s, then no one does.

Unless the school giving them is Andover (or another on of a very very small number of elite schools)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If everyone has straight A’s, then no one does.

I don't think this really applies to Andover. Everyone knows that a student in the median of Andover can easily get through a T20 school. On the contrary, many of the public school valedictorians are showing up to elite campuses unable to do critical readings or write quality essays. Why do you think the elite schools are now rushing back to mandating SATs?

I would much rather have a median Andover/Exeter student on my campus than a "test-optional" public school kid in the top 5% of their class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If everyone has straight A’s, then no one does.

Andover is one of those schools in which nearly everyone there would be a top 3% student at a regular high school. Changing the grading practices basically just formally acknowledges this and eradicates the unfair penalty placed on these kids for choosing a rigorous academic challenge for high school.

[Anonymous]

If college admissions officers need a dumb gpa to tell them that, then we’re all in trouble.

[Anonymous]

Andover caves. Guess certain people will no longer be able to complain about how terribly disadvantaged their $60k/yr private school kid is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Phillips Academy Andover, arguably America's most prestigious boarding school, overhauled their grading practices to give most students a perfect GPA. In the 2022-2023 profile, Andover request college admissions officers to convert a 5.0/6.0 GPA to a 4.0 GPA. They tell college admissions officers to convert a 6.0/6.0 GPA to a 4.3 GPA. This means that over 70% of Andover seniors graduate with at least a 4.0 unweighted GPA, mirroring the practices of many public schools.

A grade of "5" now counts as "superior" and 6 is now "outstanding"

Andover 2022-23 Profile: https://www.andover.edu/files/Profile20222023.pdf

The 2019 profile did not contain any of this guidance. Furthermore, there were far less students graduating with a 5.8+ GPA. The old conversion would have most Andover students graduating with a 3.4-3.5 GPA, a death-knell for unhooked kids applying to T20 schools.

Andover 2019 profile: https://www.andover.edu/files/CCOProfileBrochure2018-2019.pdf

It seems like Andover is acknowledging the new reality of college admissions in which URM/legacy has far, far less weight than before due to the SCOTUS decision and societal pressures against privilege. They're changing the grading practices so their students aren't penalized trying to get into the most elite colleges.

Perhaps DC schools should do the same.

That’s smart and their kids will get into their first choice schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If everyone has straight A’s, then no one does.

But they balance it out with high act and sats then it does matter. Gpa matters whether you like it or not. Look at Instagram pages and where these kids are going. Schools known for having many kids with learning disabilities are sending the same number of kids to top colleges as top privates. It’s not rocket science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If everyone has straight A’s, then no one does.

But they balance it out with high act and sats then it does matter. Gpa matters whether you like it or not. Look at Instagram pages and where these kids are going. Schools known for having many kids with learning disabilities are sending the same number of kids to top colleges as top privates. It’s not rocket science.

Yeah, if you look at the matriculations for Field and Bullis, they are not any different than Sidwell or NCS. In 2024, high school rigor just does not matter. If so, then savvy families will put their kid in lower-tier high schools where they can get easy A's.

Changing up the school profile to help out the students is the smart thing to do, and it will encourage families to keep their kids in rigorous high schools. The old, "A 3.4 GPA means a lot for this high school" does not matter anymore. Colleges want to see straight-A's whether you go to Phillips Exeter or Dunbar. If that's the reality, then rigorous prep schools are engaging in malpractice by giving their kids deflated GPAs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If everyone has straight A’s, then no one does.

I don't think this really applies to Andover. Everyone knows that a student in the median of Andover can easily get through a T20 school. On the contrary, many of the public school valedictorians are showing up to elite campuses unable to do critical readings or write quality essays. Why do you think the elite schools are now rushing back to mandating SATs?

I would much rather have a median Andover/Exeter student on my campus than a "test-optional" public school kid in the top 5% of their class.

I think much depends on the public school in question. Torrey Pines, TJ, Langley, Lower Merion, Radnor, Lexington, Newton North?

Put those top students up against anyone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If everyone has straight A’s, then no one does.

But they balance it out with high act and sats then it does matter. Gpa matters whether you like it or not. Look at Instagram pages and where these kids are going. Schools known for having many kids with learning disabilities are sending the same number of kids to top colleges as top privates. It’s not rocket science.

Yeah, if you look at the matriculations for Field and Bullis, they are not any different than Sidwell or NCS. In 2024, high school rigor just does not matter. If so, then savvy families will put their kid in lower-tier high schools where they can get easy A's.

Changing up the school profile to help out the students is the smart thing to do, and it will encourage families to keep their kids in rigorous high schools. The old, "A 3.4 GPA means a lot for this high school" does not matter anymore. Colleges want to see straight-A's whether you go to Phillips Exeter or Dunbar. If that's the reality, then rigorous prep schools are engaging in malpractice by giving their kids deflated GPAs.

Yep. You literally can attend Field and have a pleasant high school experience filled with project-based learning and test retakes or NCS where you are sweating it out to hope you get the one 90% given in the class for your essay that would get an A in a senior level literature class at most top 20 colleges.

Hmm.

Which would you pick?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If everyone has straight A’s, then no one does.

But they balance it out with high act and sats then it does matter. Gpa matters whether you like it or not. Look at Instagram pages and where these kids are going. Schools known for having many kids with learning disabilities are sending the same number of kids to top colleges as top privates. It’s not rocket science.

Yeah, if you look at the matriculations for Field and Bullis, they are not any different than Sidwell or NCS. In 2024, high school rigor just does not matter. If so, then savvy families will put their kid in lower-tier high schools where they can get easy A's.

Changing up the school profile to help out the students is the smart thing to do, and it will encourage families to keep their kids in rigorous high schools. The old, "A 3.4 GPA means a lot for this high school" does not matter anymore. Colleges want to see straight-A's whether you go to Phillips Exeter or Dunbar. If that's the reality, then rigorous prep schools are engaging in malpractice by giving their kids deflated GPAs.

Yep. You literally can attend Field and have a pleasant high school experience filled with project-based learning and test retakes or NCS where you are sweating it out to hope you get the one 90% given in the class for your essay that would get an A in a senior level literature class at most top 20 colleges.

Hmm.

Which would you pick?

Yes, and then end up at Tulane, Indiana, or Syracuse while the Field kid gets to pick between Yale, Columbia, and UPenn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If everyone has straight A’s, then no one does.

But they balance it out with high act and sats then it does matter. Gpa matters whether you like it or not. Look at Instagram pages and where these kids are going. Schools known for having many kids with learning disabilities are sending the same number of kids to top colleges as top privates. It’s not rocket science.

Yeah, if you look at the matriculations for Field and Bullis, they are not any different than Sidwell or NCS. In 2024, high school rigor just does not matter. If so, then savvy families will put their kid in lower-tier high schools where they can get easy A's.

Changing up the school profile to help out the students is the smart thing to do, and it will encourage families to keep their kids in rigorous high schools. The old, "A 3.4 GPA means a lot for this high school" does not matter anymore. Colleges want to see straight-A's whether you go to Phillips Exeter or Dunbar. If that's the reality, then rigorous prep schools are engaging in malpractice by giving their kids deflated GPAs.

Yep. You literally can attend Field and have a pleasant high school experience filled with project-based learning and test retakes or NCS where you are sweating it out to hope you get the one 90% given in the class for your essay that would get an A in a senior level literature class at most top 20 colleges.

Hmm.

Which would you pick?

Yes, and then end up at Tulane, Indiana, or Syracuse while the Field kid gets to pick between Yale, Columbia, and UPenn.

Are you a senior parent or just speculating? Unless you know for certain please do not speculate.