Is a 3.59 gpa fine for my 10th grade teen?

[Anonymous]

Weighted (honors?) it may be more.

But also, because of the way MCPS has calculated grades, they report card GPAs are not the same as the transcript GPA (which is what colleges see). The rc has quarter grades. The transcript averages semesters. Because A+B=A on the semester calculations (this ends this year) the transcript GPA is almost always higher unless his Bs are both quarters in a semester.

[Anonymous]

Towson, JMU, UDell, Loyola, Catholic is good at that CPA.

At Churchill kids with up to 4.7 GPAs and 10-14 APs got turned down at UMD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As long as you have money, then yes he will have lots of options in the T50-T150 range,

In MD, College Park is really the only in state option. The other lower level state options are pretty bad while the community colleges are even worse. It’s the one area where I really think VA is the only viable in state school system in the DMV.

So focus on searching for scholarship options, saving more, preparing for loans etc

I don’t think you have any clues of what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Weighted (honors?) it may be more.

But also, because of the way MCPS has calculated grades, they report card GPAs are not the same as the transcript GPA (which is what colleges see). The rc has quarter grades. The transcript averages semesters. Because A+B=A on the semester calculations (this ends this year) the transcript GPA is almost always higher unless his Bs are both quarters in a semester.

What do you mean this ends this year? How will grades be averaged going forward in your example?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is that weighted or unweighted?

Weighted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What on earth is a "second to last report card"?

Did someone eat the last report card?

The last report card as the new ones haven’t come out yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As long as you have money, then yes he will have lots of options in the T50-T150 range,

In MD, College Park is really the only in state option. The other lower level state options are pretty bad while the community colleges are even worse. It’s the one area where I really think VA is the only viable in state school system in the DMV.

So focus on searching for scholarship options, saving more, preparing for loans etc

This is just not true. I know kids who have attended both Towson and UMBC and are doing very well in their careers. I can't speak to the other state schools but these two are viable options. However, with that GPA, your child will have many more options. FYI a lot of kids who are not getting into College Park these days are getting into other very good state schools including Penn State, Indiana etc., The situation over at College Park is really unfortunate. One of our extended family members didn't get into College Park but got into Wisconsin and then was admitted to Michigan off the waitlist. That's absurd.

In terms of community college, students going to Montgomery College for 1-2 years have an excellent track record of getting into College Park as a transfer and you get to save your money on those intro courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weighted (honors?) it may be more.

But also, because of the way MCPS has calculated grades, they report card GPAs are not the same as the transcript GPA (which is what colleges see). The rc has quarter grades. The transcript averages semesters. Because A+B=A on the semester calculations (this ends this year) the transcript GPA is almost always higher unless his Bs are both quarters in a semester.

What do you mean this ends this year? How will grades be averaged going forward in your example?

They will average the two MP numerical grades and then assign a letter grade for the semester based on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As long as you have money, then yes he will have lots of options in the T50-T150 range,

In MD, College Park is really the only in state option. The other lower level state options are pretty bad while the community colleges are even worse. It’s the one area where I really think VA is the only viable in state school system in the DMV.

So focus on searching for scholarship options, saving more, preparing for loans etc

This is both unhelpful and inaccurate. UMBC and Towson (the two I’m most familiar with) have excellent outcomes particularly in a few majors where they really stand out. And as UMD continues to rapidly rise, other instate schools are rising with it as higher calibre kids looking for in state options are shut out of UMD.

Also Montgomery college is consistently ranked one of the top 10 community colleges in the country. And agree with PP that it offers a great pathway to UMD and other schools.

OP, I think you know the GPA isn’t top of the class and UMD is probably out of reach, but many many other colleges and universities exist and may be a better fit anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What on earth is a "second to last report card"?

Did someone eat the last report card?

The last report card as the new ones haven’t come out yet.

Yes, they have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as you have money, then yes he will have lots of options in the T50-T150 range,

In MD, College Park is really the only in state option. The other lower level state options are pretty bad while the community colleges are even worse. It’s the one area where I really think VA is the only viable in state school system in the DMV.

So focus on searching for scholarship options, saving more, preparing for loans etc

This is just not true. I know kids who have attended both Towson and UMBC and are doing very well in their careers. I can't speak to the other state schools but these two are viable options. However, with that GPA, your child will have many more options. FYI a lot of kids who are not getting into College Park these days are getting into other very good state schools including Penn State, Indiana etc., The situation over at College Park is really unfortunate. One of our extended family members didn't get into College Park but got into Wisconsin and then was admitted to Michigan off the waitlist. That's absurd.

In terms of community college, students going to Montgomery College for 1-2 years have an excellent track record of getting into College Park as a transfer and you get to save your money on those intro courses.

I was going to say something along the same lines.

People have to keep in mind that UMD is considered an excellent school.

Where I've seen seniors consider UMD along with some others what I consider very good universities and some of them picking UMD.

It used to be 3.5 (unweighted) was considered a good GPA.

So while a student with that GPA may not do well based on some really high standards, they are still doing better than the majority of the population there.

Some of this does depend on the courses they're taking and the ones that they're not getting an A in. I would maybe double check what areas they may be struggling in and see if any help/reinforcements are needed in that area.

As someone who went to a school like Churchill, I really appreciated going to a diverse school afterwards and let me interact with other groups of people. So can kind of see why some people have negative views about W schools and their environments. When I was in it, I didn't really see or understand the differences. And some people can go their whole lives living in that type of world. There's nothing wrong with it, just a different class of people.

So don't think it would be the worst thing in the world if the OPs kid doesn't go on the same path as others that they went to school with. And I'm not saying that they won't be able to with that type of GPA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weighted (honors?) it may be more.

But also, because of the way MCPS has calculated grades, they report card GPAs are not the same as the transcript GPA (which is what colleges see). The rc has quarter grades. The transcript averages semesters. Because A+B=A on the semester calculations (this ends this year) the transcript GPA is almost always higher unless his Bs are both quarters in a semester.

What do you mean this ends this year? How will grades be averaged going forward in your example?

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/grading-and-reporting/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He goes to Churchill btw.

I’m sorry to say that is low for Churchill. I recommend the Montgomery College to UMD pathway. Seems ideal for him.

[Anonymous]

Is this for real?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as you have money, then yes he will have lots of options in the T50-T150 range,

In MD, College Park is really the only in state option. The other lower level state options are pretty bad while the community colleges are even worse. It’s the one area where I really think VA is the only viable in state school system in the DMV.

So focus on searching for scholarship options, saving more, preparing for loans etc

This is both unhelpful and inaccurate. UMBC and Towson (the two I’m most familiar with) have excellent outcomes particularly in a few majors where they really stand out. And as UMD continues to rapidly rise, other instate schools are rising with it as higher calibre kids looking for in state options are shut out of UMD.

Also Montgomery college is consistently ranked one of the top 10 community colleges in the country. And agree with PP that it offers a great pathway to UMD and other schools.

OP, I think you know the GPA isn’t top of the class and UMD is probably out of reach, but many many other colleges and universities exist and may be a better fit anyway.

This is the truth.