I think GPAs should be standardized

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s hilarious to me that schools are test optional when seeing SAT within contexts actually pretty easy to do. And yet they lean on GPA which is very hard to put into context

Standardizing GPA would be a small but good step

GPA is a body of work over years across multiple disciplines. SAT/ACT is a few hours in basically two subjects and narrow at that.

[Anonymous]

How do you standardize GPA?

You could have tests that were standard.

Call them "standardized tests".

Oh wait.

People hate those and scream about them.

[Anonymous]

I can’t imagine being against this idea

It doesn’t solve a lot. But it solves a little

[Anonymous]

GPA is highly subjective.

Even in a same high school, some teachers are tougher graders than the other. Some teacher never gave A, others give more As.

Teachers also tend to give higher grades to students they like. Particularly in Harkness teaching, this is more apparent.

Curriculum are not standardized. Different students have different high school curriculum. Not all advanced/AP courses have the same rigor.

[Anonymous]

Getting a 90 average in bio or algebra shouldn’t be an A.

This seems easy to me. Improvements are improvements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you standardize GPA?

You could have tests that were standard.

Call them "standardized tests".

Oh wait.

People hate those and scream about them.

Well, APs would do it. Not SATs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s hilarious to me that schools are test optional when seeing SAT within contexts actually pretty easy to do. And yet they lean on GPA which is very hard to put into context

Standardizing GPA would be a small but good step

GPA is a body of work over years across multiple disciplines. SAT/ACT is a few hours in basically two subjects and narrow at that.

GPA is often about 4 core classes over 3 years. And not standardized. SAT is not a hard test. And you can retake it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you standardize GPA?

You could have tests that were standard.

Call them "standardized tests".

Oh wait.

People hate those and scream about them.

I don't know about "hate and scream", but there is a rational position that they are a panacea and not without their own limitations an caveats. Ultimately, the institutions will admit whom they want based on the criteria they deem important. If one does't like a test optional school's methods, they are free to only focus on those that require it.

I get that folks want rules that advantage themselves (or kiddos in this case), but it's the colleges that set the rules based on their priorities and interests. In some cases, its not all about the test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you standardize GPA?

You could have tests that were standard.

Call them "standardized tests".

Oh wait.

People hate those and scream about them.

I don't know about "hate and scream", but there is a rational position that they are a panacea and not without their own limitations an caveats. Ultimately, the institutions will admit whom they want based on the criteria they deem important. If one does't like a test optional school's methods, they are free to only focus on those that require it.

I get that folks want rules that advantage themselves (or kiddos in this case), but it's the colleges that set the rules based on their priorities and interests. In some cases, its not all about the test.

Duh. Sorry, but this isn't a fair or equitable process. The earlier you accept this the better. Just learn how the game works and manipulate it to your advantage.

[Anonymous]

welcome to life.
things are not standard, nor are they fair.

the sooner you figure that out and move on, the better off your kids will be with coping, dealing and tbh thriving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s hilarious to me that schools are test optional when seeing SAT within contexts actually pretty easy to do. And yet they lean on GPA which is very hard to put into context

Standardizing GPA would be a small but good step

GPA is a body of work over years across multiple disciplines. SAT/ACT is a few hours in basically two subjects and narrow at that.

GPA is often about 4 core classes over 3 years. And not standardized. SAT is not a hard test. And you can retake it.

Well 5. History, Science, Math, English, Foreign Language. And SAT doesn't cover a fraction of that. Students take Latin, French, Mandarin, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, History across time period, Social Studies, English Literature, etc.

Students write papers, work on projects, conduct lab experiments, etc

SAT covers such a tiny, tiny portion of all of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine being against this idea

It doesn’t solve a lot. But it solves a little

I'm not against it, but it's basically impossible to implement. Local schools and school districts decide how grading works, there's no authority to force them to adopt one grading scale. Even colleges don't calculate GPAs in the same way and there's a lot fewer of those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s hilarious to me that schools are test optional when seeing SAT within contexts actually pretty easy to do. And yet they lean on GPA which is very hard to put into context

Standardizing GPA would be a small but good step

GPA is a body of work over years across multiple disciplines. SAT/ACT is a few hours in basically two subjects and narrow at that.

GPA is often about 4 core classes over 3 years. And not standardized. SAT is not a hard test. And you can retake it.

Well 5. History, Science, Math, English, Foreign Language. And SAT doesn't cover a fraction of that. Students take Latin, French, Mandarin, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, History across time period, Social Studies, English Literature, etc.

Students write papers, work on projects, conduct lab experiments, etc

SAT covers such a tiny, tiny portion of all of that.

You know there are AP exams right?

[Anonymous]

I think a lot of people here dont realize all the private schools that hand out top grades, with no APs to check that "rigor", and average SATS no where to be found.

Read it and weep, DCUM. These kids end up in T20s. They were admitted in K. It's not like a Stuy or a Regis where you have to get in on merits at 9th grade entry

https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1758028010/packer/uvjdqpplcgojpcsekn5s/PackerSchoolProfile2025-26_091525.pdf

I'd love to see everyone move to a numbered system, like stuy. And then a grade distribution on the school profile with average SATs. I can read that - I trust AOs can read that. Main Street High where every kid gets a 96 or up in math but their average SAT is 1200 tells me all I need to know.

[Anonymous]

You do know that schools use Slate to auto-recalculate the GPA for only the classes they want, right?


https://technolutions.com/admissions?itemId=ygz90f7yhhcmc2hayamsb4kpvy301e

https://advisortraining.wayne.edu/remote_advising/slate_overview.pdf