Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?

[Anonymous]

Just saw the post about dropping in rigor. In our school, a lot of kids are tutored to stay in the rigorous course. Couple years ago, a kid was asked to drop down a level but the family threatened to sue the school to keep him in the class (the parents told us!).

Is the motive for parents to keep their DCs challenged? Or are they concerned about falling out of running for the most selective colleges?

Is it better for get A in the less rigorous class or B in the more rigorous track when it comes to college admissions?

[Anonymous]

neither is great for T20 - assume that’s what u r asking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just saw the post about dropping in rigor. In our school, a lot of kids are tutored to stay in the rigorous course. Couple years ago, a kid was asked to drop down a level but the family threatened to sue the school to keep him in the class (the parents told us!).

Is the motive for parents to keep their DCs challenged? Or are they concerned about falling out of running for the most selective colleges?

Is it better for get A in the less rigorous class or B in the more rigorous track when it comes to college admissions?

If you're struggling as a student in the top rigor classes, what makes you think a rigorous t20 college would be a good fit? In spite of what you read on here about the hardest part about a top college is getting admitted, that is not the case. It is a very rigorous academic environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:neither is great for T20 - assume that’s what u r asking

+1 You need an A in the most rigorous class, unless you're extremely wealthy (potential donor), extremely famous, extremely athletic or a legacy preference kid of a prominent alum....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:neither is great for T20 - assume that’s what u r asking

+1 You need an A in the most rigorous class, unless you're extremely wealthy (potential donor), extremely famous, extremely athletic or a legacy preference kid of a prominent alum....

I love when DCUM spews nothing from reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:neither is great for T20 - assume that’s what u r asking

+1 You need an A in the most rigorous class, unless you're extremely wealthy (potential donor), extremely famous, extremely athletic or a legacy preference kid of a prominent alum....

How many % of kids really get all As in the most rigorous classes in a school that doesn't grade inflate??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:neither is great for T20 - assume that’s what u r asking

+1 You need an A in the most rigorous class, unless you're extremely wealthy (potential donor), extremely famous, extremely athletic or a legacy preference kid of a prominent alum....

How many % of kids really get all As in the most rigorous classes in a school that doesn't grade inflate??

The top handful, who are the ones you'd expect to be admitted into the most rejective schools.

[Anonymous]

At our public, “most rigorous” is not a literal
interpretation. You don’t have to literally take the highest level in each subject to get it. It’s actually a pretty low bar - I think you have to take 6 AP/DE equivalent classes total to qualify for the designation.

[Anonymous]

I love how getting a B (88 average) now counts as “struggling” with a rigorous course, while an A (91 average) means you’re a top student who can handle any challenge.

The reality is that the most important numbers are the sheer numbers of applicants vs the comparatively few slot available at “top” schools.

The schools have to thin the herd somehow, and grades is one way. But that doesn’t mean that if you got a B you are a struggling student. It just means you didn’t play the game of musical chairs that is the college admissions process as well as some other kids did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just saw the post about dropping in rigor. In our school, a lot of kids are tutored to stay in the rigorous course. Couple years ago, a kid was asked to drop down a level but the family threatened to sue the school to keep him in the class (the parents told us!).

Is the motive for parents to keep their DCs challenged? Or are they concerned about falling out of running for the most selective colleges?

Is it better for get A in the less rigorous class or B in the more rigorous track when it comes to college admissions?

If you're struggling as a student in the top rigor classes, what makes you think a rigorous t20 college would be a good fit? In spite of what you read on here about the hardest part about a top college is getting admitted, that is not the case. It is a very rigorous academic environment.

This! If your kid is not top school material why not target schools that are more appropriate.

My kid is super smart, probably top of class in STEM, but she knows MIT would chew her up and spit her out so she is applying to schools that are better fits.

[Anonymous]

Private schools kid definitely didn’t need top rigor but needed some rigor (kids getting into schools with honors calc as opposed to multivariable if Econ major, for example).

It also depends on what kid will study.

Top rigor and okay grades didn’t seem to do as well. Little rigor was also limiting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:neither is great for T20 - assume that’s what u r asking

+1 You need an A in the most rigorous class, unless you're extremely wealthy (potential donor), extremely famous, extremely athletic or a legacy preference kid of a prominent alum....

Yeah no. Have 2 kids at Ivy/T20 who weren't any of these. And had Bs (one of them several Bs - the horror).
Private HS.

[Anonymous]

For HYPSM you want both As and most rigor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:neither is great for T20 - assume that’s what u r asking

+1 You need an A in the most rigorous class, unless you're extremely wealthy (potential donor), extremely famous, extremely athletic or a legacy preference kid of a prominent alum....

Yeah no. Have 2 kids at Ivy/T20 who weren't any of these. And had Bs (one of them several Bs - the horror).
Private HS.

Private is different from public. applying from Langley, you must be top in your class, most rigor, all As.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private schools kid definitely didn’t need top rigor but needed some rigor (kids getting into schools with honors calc as opposed to multivariable if Econ major, for example).

It also depends on what kid will study.

Top rigor and okay grades didn’t seem to do as well. Little rigor was also limiting.

You live in a little bubble if you think that taking multivariable is normal. I live in NYC. The vast majority of kids I know who get into Ivies coming out of top SHSAT schools (Stuy, Bronx Science, HSMSE) and privates are taking calc senior year. Most privates don't even have APs.

This phenomenon, which seems to be particularly prevalent in the DC area, of tutoring your kid to get ahead or just pushing them ahead, is odd. And don't tell me "my kid is a genius and was bored." Nope. Just doing it because Mary down the street was doing it with her kid so you feel obligated to. Schools should put the kibosh on this except for the one in a million kids. And those kids you know when you see them.

In the long run, being a semester or two ahead really makes no difference.

Vent over.