HS Parents: Explain GPA Implications of Taking HS Classes in MS

[Anonymous]

My kid is on the academically accelerated path and will have three years of HS-level foreign language + two years of HS-level math by the end of middle school.

DC recently received a B in foreign language and is devastated that they will never get into college now because their HS GPA will be lower <eyeroll>. I'm not particularly worried, but also unclear what the implications are.

Can a MCPS HS parent please explain to me how taking HS classes in middle school *really* effects high school GPA? I get a different answer from every teacher/counselor at our middle school that I discuss it with. I know that every child who receives a passing grade on a HS class in MS will get *HS credit* for taking that course. However, in terms of GPA I've been variously told that...

1) Foreign language HS courses taught in MS are only optionally counted towards HS GPA, but HS math classes taught in MS always count

2) Students can "choose" whether to have MS grades for HS courses counted towards their HS GPA

3) The MS grade for HS courses will only be counted towards the HS GPA if it improves the GPA, which is calculated by the school

Which is it? And if it's #3, when is this decided - at some point their senior year when they start applying to colleges?

[Anonymous]

#3 is essentially correct. This is the official language:

"For students who entered Grade 6 during or after the 2016—2017 school year, the final grade and credit earned for high school courses successfully completed while in middle school will be reported on the high school transcript, but will not be calculated into the
cumulative GPA/WGPA, unless the grade earned improves the student’s cumulative GPA/WGPA. If the course grade for a high school course taken in middle school improves the student’s cumulative GPA/WGPA, it will be applied automatically by MCPS. Parents/guardians may opt out of the automatic calculation by contacting the school counselor."

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/ikcra.pdf

[Anonymous]

Thank you - my Googling failed to locate a good answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:#3 is essentially correct. This is the official language:

"For students who entered Grade 6 during or after the 2016—2017 school year, the final grade and credit earned for high school courses successfully completed while in middle school will be reported on the high school transcript, but will not be calculated into the
cumulative GPA/WGPA, unless the grade earned improves the student’s cumulative GPA/WGPA. If the course grade for a high school course taken in middle school improves the student’s cumulative GPA/WGPA, it will be applied automatically by MCPS. Parents/guardians may opt out of the automatic calculation by contacting the school counselor."

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/ikcra.pdf

+1

The reason that OP got different answers is because the policy has changed over time. This is the current policy and the calculation check is done after each semester when the transcript is updated.

However, the more important thing to understand is that the GPA and WGPA as presented on the transcript aren’t so critical that a couple of Bs will derail top 20 dreams. What is more important is the overall rigor of classes (AP/IB get the same 1 point boost as Honors), what course and grade level the Bs were in, and what major a kid is applying to. Colleges will recalculate GPAs with their own internal processes considering whatever they deem important.

[Anonymous]

Your kid real problem is that top colleges expect 4 years (or at least 3 years if exhausted the sequence) of the same language in high school. So either start with a new foreign language from basic level freshman HS or continue from MS and need to go to community college later or no foreign language 11th and 12th grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid real problem is that top colleges expect 4 years (or at least 3 years if exhausted the sequence) of the same language in high school. So either start with a new foreign language from basic level freshman HS or continue from MS and need to go to community college later or no foreign language 11th and 12th grade

It actually varies by college. You need to look up the admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid real problem is that top colleges expect 4 years (or at least 3 years if exhausted the sequence) of the same language in high school. So either start with a new foreign language from basic level freshman HS or continue from MS and need to go to community college later or no foreign language 11th and 12th grade

+1. Amazing how many people push their kids in MS and don't understand this.
Also while we are at it, putting your kid on advanced math track when they are not a math kid can backfire too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid real problem is that top colleges expect 4 years (or at least 3 years if exhausted the sequence) of the same language in high school. So either start with a new foreign language from basic level freshman HS or continue from MS and need to go to community college later or no foreign language 11th and 12th grade

I hear people say this but it wasn’t the case for my DD. She did three years of FL in MS and a different one in 9th grade and got into top colleges with significant merit aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid real problem is that top colleges expect 4 years (or at least 3 years if exhausted the sequence) of the same language in high school. So either start with a new foreign language from basic level freshman HS or continue from MS and need to go to community college later or no foreign language 11th and 12th grade

+1. Amazing how many people push their kids in MS and don't understand this.
Also while we are at it, putting your kid on advanced math track when they are not a math kid can backfire too.

Many also just do two years in hs to take classes geared toward their future major. My kid did five years with Ms and HS. If that’s not enough then oh well.

[Anonymous]

Most colleges and universities will calculate their own GPA based on the grades they see on the transcript anyway. They will use or not use the middle school grades as they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:#3 is essentially correct. This is the official language:

"For students who entered Grade 6 during or after the 2016—2017 school year, the final grade and credit earned for high school courses successfully completed while in middle school will be reported on the high school transcript, but will not be calculated into the
cumulative GPA/WGPA, unless the grade earned improves the student’s cumulative GPA/WGPA. If the course grade for a high school course taken in middle school improves the student’s cumulative GPA/WGPA, it will be applied automatically by MCPS. Parents/guardians may opt out of the automatic calculation by contacting the school counselor."

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/ikcra.pdf

OP YOu will see more details when your child is in the 2nd semester of 9th when they get a student graduation report with an official GPA. The Bs in MS in HS classes mean nothing.

[Anonymous]

Google is your friend.

[Anonymous]

I heard that it lowers you GPA 0.01 and the. You can't get into UMD from a W school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid real problem is that top colleges expect 4 years (or at least 3 years if exhausted the sequence) of the same language in high school. So either start with a new foreign language from basic level freshman HS or continue from MS and need to go to community college later or no foreign language 11th and 12th grade

Usually what the college wants is four years in the sense of level four of the language. It's fine to start in MS and finish level four in HS even if you don't continue in HS beyond freshman or sophomore year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid real problem is that top colleges expect 4 years (or at least 3 years if exhausted the sequence) of the same language in high school. So either start with a new foreign language from basic level freshman HS or continue from MS and need to go to community college later or no foreign language 11th and 12th grade

Nope. Wrong. Why are you misleading people.

My kid took 3 years of FL in MS, and 2 years in HS. The last year (sophomore year) FL course was AP. The transcript showed 5 yrs of FL, out of which 2 were taken in HS, and the last one was AP. There were no other higher FL available to him after 10th grade

He had the creds to apply to all the top schools.