Do colleges take private school curriculum into consideration with grades?

[Anonymous]

My DD is at top private school. She is an average student and works hard. Her grades (and those of many of her friends) are lower than their public school counterparts. I hear anecdotes from parents at our public school talk about how kids have no homework now and they don't even have to turn in assignments in a timely manner. These kids are getting straight As. Will college admissions people recognize this?

[Anonymous]

Oh laws. You poor poor thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh laws. You poor poor thing.

You don't have to be rude. I am not looking for sympathy. Just asking the question.

[Anonymous]

She'll be fine.

[Anonymous]

Of course. If it's a "top private," the colleges all know it well.

[Anonymous]

Private high school counselors will submit a school report/school profile document with your daughter's application which will provide an overview on the high school. If its a well know private school, many college admissions committees are aware of the academics of the HS.

[Anonymous]

I just had this conversation with the academic dean at out top west coast private, where they think a lot of AP and IB curricula are dated. They create their own courses using "the best of." They also do not inflate grades. They said that tops LACs and many top west coast universities know this about the school, but many large flagship universities don't appreciate the rigor behind the course/grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD is at top private school. She is an average student and works hard. Her grades (and those of many of her friends) are lower than their public school counterparts. I hear anecdotes from parents at our public school talk about how kids have no homework now and they don't even have to turn in assignments in a timely manner. These kids are getting straight As. Will college admissions people recognize this?

Most of the better private colleges will have regional admissions officers who will be very familiar with the local high schools - both public and private. And they'll know how to read and adjust for the various grading systems. They are aware that grading at NCS, for example, is going to look different than grading at Jackson-Reed. The grades will matter less than how a student compares to their classmates in their own school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just had this conversation with the academic dean at out top west coast private, where they think a lot of AP and IB curricula are dated. They create their own courses using "the best of." They also do not inflate grades. They said that tops LACs and many top west coast universities know this about the school, but many large flagship universities don't appreciate the rigor behind the course/grades.

This is false. Schools like Michigan and Wisconsin have regional reps who know the landscape of schools in their regions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is at top private school. She is an average student and works hard. Her grades (and those of many of her friends) are lower than their public school counterparts. I hear anecdotes from parents at our public school talk about how kids have no homework now and they don't even have to turn in assignments in a timely manner. These kids are getting straight As. Will college admissions people recognize this?

Most of the better private colleges will have regional admissions officers who will be very familiar with the local high schools - both public and private. And they'll know how to read and adjust for the various grading systems. They are aware that grading at NCS, for example, is going to look different than grading at Jackson-Reed. The grades will matter less than how a student compares to their classmates in their own school.

I think this is key. I would be less worried about what’s happening at public schools (which you have no control over, and is likely not the full story, at least for the top students in the most advanced classes) and focus more on how your kid can stand out from her own classmates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD is at top private school. She is an average student and works hard. Her grades (and those of many of her friends) are lower than their public school counterparts. I hear anecdotes from parents at our public school talk about how kids have no homework now and they don't even have to turn in assignments in a timely manner. These kids are getting straight As. Will college admissions people recognize this?

Yes. Colleges know. Be prepared for lots of snarky responses from people who are jealous you can send your kids to private school.

[Anonymous]

yes, colleges know but the kids getting into top colleges from NCS, Sidwell, etc are getting close to perfect grades despite going to NCS and Sidwell. There are a dozen or so who get very, very high grades each year and these are the kids going on to top colleges, unhooked.

If you're not getting straight As or very close to it you're out of running for the Ivy league or similar. I think most parents don't realize this until it's too late. There is a this layer of kids at these top privates who DO manage to grind out top grades in top rigor classes. They work like maniacs but they do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD is at top private school. She is an average student and works hard. Her grades (and those of many of her friends) are lower than their public school counterparts. I hear anecdotes from parents at our public school talk about how kids have no homework now and they don't even have to turn in assignments in a timely manner. These kids are getting straight As. Will college admissions people recognize this?

Yes and I am both a private school grad (from a rigorous school without grade inflation) AND also a UVa Alum.

Your DC will mainly be competing for college admissions against other applicants from the same private school.

[Anonymous]

This is flipped in other counties, so schools don’t compare your child to other schools. There are many private schools with poor curricula who market as being more rigorous than ap/ib (easy To say when no one is taking a look at your curriculum nor are there standards for it).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD is at top private school. She is an average student and works hard. Her grades (and those of many of her friends) are lower than their public school counterparts. I hear anecdotes from parents at our public school talk about how kids have no homework now and they don't even have to turn in assignments in a timely manner. These kids are getting straight As. Will college admissions people recognize this?

Search “3.8uw private” on here. Good info.