“Highest Rigor”
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Anonymous
| Dc’s HS has a handful of kids who took math outside of school and therefore finish the math curriculum before senior year (and sometimes well before senior year). In that context, how is rigor compared by the school counselors in their LORs? Is coursework considered *more* rigorous if taken when the kid is younger? I understand this likely varies by school. |
Anonymous
| Ask the counselor. Better yes, have DC do so |
Anonymous
|
Ask the counselor but at our school "highest rigor" does not take into account kids who are hyper accelerated and do things like you describe. "Highest rigor" is making it to multivariable calculus by senior year if that is highest math class that the school offers or even ending with calculus BC (even if there are a handful of kids who take multi).
Schools are generous with this designation, as they should be. |
Anonymous
| Depends on the high school, but generally “highest rigor” is not used as a superlative but is a tier (eg, everyone who takes 8+ APs). Also, most colleges do not put much weight on what the high school counselor says about it (especially from public high schools). They can evaluate a transcript themselves. |
Anonymous
| In our FCPS HS, highest rigor is only determined by the HS based on what the HS offers. |
Anonymous
| What the high school offers |
Anonymous
| Is everyone who does IB automatically highest rigor? |
Anonymous
Yes, at public schools, at least, I think this is the common approach. A threshold of number of high-rigor classes rather than a subject-by-subject evaluation of level. At our school, for example, one of my kids had 10 APs with Calc AB as the highest math, and his counselor said he’d have the “highest rigor” designation. Also agree that colleges don’t really give it much weight; they’re looking closely at transcripts and evaluating their coursework in the context of other applicants from their school, their major interest, etc. |
Anonymous
Likely that this is most common. In a big country like the US, exceptions must surely exist somewhere. |
Anonymous
Need to do IB diploma. The relative difficulty of the the chosen classes also matters. |
Anonymous
If the school has an informed college counselor, there are publications and guidance about this from NACAC. |
Anonymous
Not necessarily - depends on the school. FCPS IB school said if you are taking a bunch of IB classes and not doing the diploma, you still will get designated "highest rigor." |
Anonymous
No there are High level and Standard level courses in IB. And schools want to see a Theory of Knowledge class taken. Lots of variables. |
Anonymous
Don't count on colleges respecting that designation, then. |
Anonymous
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Why can't/won't the school publish the criteria for designation?
IB/AP = 3, H=2, GL= 1. Sum it all up. X points and above = Highest Rigor; Y-X points= Rigorous, <Y = Standard. or Must take X or more AP/IB classes or Must take X or more AP/IB classes across all 4 core subjects |