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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

By for certain actually heard it first hand from a senior parent or student.

[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.

Indiana as in Notre Dame?

Tulane and Syracuse are great schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I've been through this before with my own kids. The "Big 3" kid graduated with a 3.65 GPA/1550 SAT and got shut out of the T-30 schools. The kid at the non-competitive private breezed to a 4.0 unweighted GPA and got into multiple T10s.

[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.

Field and Bullis’ college admissions results are nothing like Sidwell’s. Those schools are not close to Sidwell’s level.

For example, over a period of FOUR years (2020 to 2023), Sidwell sent at least 4 students to EVERY Ivy plus Stanford. In contrast, over a period of FIVE years (2019 to 2023), Bullis sent at least 4 students to only Cornell, Penn, Harvard, Yale and Stanford. Further, over a period of FIVE years (2019 to 2023), Field sent at least THREE students ONLY to Penn. over that same FIVE year period, ZERO students were admitted to Brown, Yale or Stanford.

Sidwell: https://www.sidwell.edu/academics/college-counseling/college-matriculation

Bullís: https://www.bullis.org/academics/college-counseling/college-matriculation

Field: https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/14oJLbZ6pp5BUOyimR9S69OEgsEQQq-328bmATE__VLM/mobilebasic

[Anonymous]

Oh Jeez. Here we go again.

[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.

Field and Bullis’ college admissions results are nothing like Sidwell’s. Those schools are not close to Sidwell’s level.

For example, over a period of FOUR years (2020 to 2023), Sidwell sent at least 4 students to EVERY Ivy plus Stanford. In contrast, over a period of FIVE years (2019 to 2023), Bullis sent at least 4 students to only Cornell, Penn, Harvard, Yale and Stanford. Further, over a period of FIVE years (2019 to 2023), Field sent at least THREE students ONLY to Penn. over that same FIVE year period, ZERO students were admitted to Brown, Yale or Stanford.

Sidwell: https://www.sidwell.edu/academics/college-counseling/college-matriculation

Bullís: https://www.bullis.org/academics/college-counseling/college-matriculation

Field: https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/14oJLbZ6pp5BUOyimR9S69OEgsEQQq-328bmATE__VLM/mobilebasic

But Sidwell also has a survey this year that said most of the kids were depressed and unhappy? It’s on another thread so something is not right if that’s the case.

[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.

Field and Bullis’ college admissions results are nothing like Sidwell’s. Those schools are not close to Sidwell’s level.

For example, over a period of FOUR years (2020 to 2023), Sidwell sent at least 4 students to EVERY Ivy plus Stanford. In contrast, over a period of FIVE years (2019 to 2023), Bullis sent at least 4 students to only Cornell, Penn, Harvard, Yale and Stanford. Further, over a period of FIVE years (2019 to 2023), Field sent at least THREE students ONLY to Penn. over that same FIVE year period, ZERO students were admitted to Brown, Yale or Stanford.

Sidwell: https://www.sidwell.edu/academics/college-counseling/college-matriculation

Bullís: https://www.bullis.org/academics/college-counseling/college-matriculation

Field: https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/14oJLbZ6pp5BUOyimR9S69OEgsEQQq-328bmATE__VLM/mobilebasic

But Sidwell also has a survey this year that said most of the kids were depressed and unhappy? It’s on another thread so something is not right if that’s the case.

“But, but, but…” [Let me grasp at more straws to try to disparage Sidwell, since my earlier lies didn’t work]. 🙄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Field and Bullis’ college admissions results are nothing like Sidwell’s. Those schools are not close to Sidwell’s level.

For example, over a period of FOUR years (2020 to 2023), Sidwell sent at least 4 students to EVERY Ivy plus Stanford. In contrast, over a period of FIVE years (2019 to 2023), Bullis sent at least 4 students to only Cornell, Penn, Harvard, Yale and Stanford. Further, over a period of FIVE years (2019 to 2023), Field sent at least THREE students ONLY to Penn. over that same FIVE year period, ZERO students were admitted to Brown, Yale or Stanford.

Sidwell: https://www.sidwell.edu/academics/college-counseling/college-matriculation

Bullís: https://www.bullis.org/academics/college-counseling/college-matriculation

Field: https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/14oJLbZ6pp5BUOyimR9S69OEgsEQQq-328bmATE__VLM/mobilebasic

But Sidwell also has a survey this year that said most of the kids were depressed and unhappy? It’s on another thread so something is not right if that’s the case.

“But, but, but…” [Let me grasp at more straws to try to disparage Sidwell, since my earlier lies didn’t work]. 🙄

This is the first thing I have posted about Sidwell on this thread. You are talking to the wrong person but I did see the thread about the poll and it was concerning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Indiana as in Notre Dame?

Tulane and Syracuse are great schools.

Right? Indiana U. is solid, even if it’s not ND. Sister-in-law went to Syracuse for undergrad, got her PhD at UChicago. Undergrad is overrated. What you do with it is much more important. The East Coast/Ivy League snobbery is nauseating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Indiana as in Notre Dame?

Tulane and Syracuse are great schools.

Right? Indiana U. is solid, even if it’s not ND. Sister-in-law went to Syracuse for undergrad, got her PhD at UChicago. Undergrad is overrated. What you do with it is much more important. The East Coast/Ivy League snobbery is nauseating.

I am the poster above that said they are great schools and they are but I understand what previous poster is saying about having several kids and watching one who you know is a much better student and probably brighter who is working much harder not even have a chance of going to a school ranked as high as the other child who got to go to a much easier school with less work and got a higher GPA. As a parent it is hard to watch the unfairness of that situation.

It is happening this year to a few of my friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh Jeez. Here we go again.

I was going to say the same 😆 I can’t believe how petty and insecure so many posters sound.

[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.

Op is the weighting? I am curious how do you propose schools would do this? Some already are I believe?

[Anonymous]

We created an 11, because 10 wasn't loud enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh Jeez. Here we go again.

+1

They cannot help it.

[Anonymous]

Non issue. Colleges don't compare GPA between different schools.

In MCPS, A, A-, and A+ are already all 4.0, even if the quarter grade or the new MCAP grade is below A-.