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

[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.

It's OPTIONALLY a very rigorous academic environoment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Average gpa at private is 3.3, we’ve had students with 3.6 off to ivies. DS’s school doesn’t hand out participation trophies and only 4 kids have left with a 4.0 in the schools 100+ yrs. High academic standards and the top schools love it.

False. This did not happen. Ivy takes 4.0 gpa and maximum rigor-with many took linear algebra and multivariable junior year, and 1550+ high test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It's OPTIONALLY a very rigorous academic environoment.

You can optionally sit around and play tiddlywinks at any college. If you think that's what's going on at Harvard and MIT and the rest, you are not correct. But sure you could do that with your time there if you choose.

[Anonymous]

Not OP but I wonder what is better for the schools in the 30-100 ranking range-- is it better to get As in honors or get B/Cs in AP courses

[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?

The first layer of competition is between your student and peers at their school. Unlikely that any school will admit all applicants from any school. Your kid needs to have a higher GPA taking the most rigorous courses offered.

A kid that has a non-weighted 4.0 with Algebra II and Environmental Science as their math and science courses will not be accepted over a kid with a 3.85 who has multi variable Calc and Physics C. But the 3.85 kid will loose out to one that has a 4.0 who has also taken multi variable Calc and Physics C.

[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?

The first layer of competition is between your student and peers at their school. Unlikely that any school will admit all applicants from any school. Your kid needs to have a higher GPA taking the most rigorous courses offered.

A kid that has a non-weighted 4.0 with Algebra II and Environmental Science as their math and science courses will not be accepted over a kid with a 3.85 who has multi variable Calc and Physics C. But the 3.85 kid will loose out to one that has a 4.0 who has also taken multi variable Calc and Physics C.

But we are not talking about Algebra II when someone is applying to ivy.

3.85 multi variable Calc and Physics C would lose out to 4.0, Calc AB or precal (environmental science).
If a kid wants ivy and wants rigor, they need to get 4.0 in multi variable Calc and Physics C.

[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?

The kids that do the best in elite admissions get the A in all the most difficult courses. Your kid will be compared to these kids. Most schools have these kids. That's who goes to top places, barring a feeder high school that sends 20% to ivies.
In our private, kids with topmost or close GPA in the grade will be "shut out" and "settle" for UVA in state if they do not take top rigor, while those with slightly lower grades, as in some A- or occasional B+, still around top-10%, get into ivies or T15, unhooked. Anyone with more than 3 semesters of B are not even top 15% usually and do not get in ivy/ elite even with the most rigor possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

The first layer of competition is between your student and peers at their school. Unlikely that any school will admit all applicants from any school. Your kid needs to have a higher GPA taking the most rigorous courses offered.

A kid that has a non-weighted 4.0 with Algebra II and Environmental Science as their math and science courses will not be accepted over a kid with a 3.85 who has multi variable Calc and Physics C. But the 3.85 kid will loose out to one that has a 4.0 who has also taken multi variable Calc and Physics C.

But we are not talking about Algebra II when someone is applying to ivy.

3.85 multi variable Calc and Physics C would lose out to 4.0, Calc AB or precal (environmental science).
If a kid wants ivy and wants rigor, they need to get 4.0 in multi variable Calc and Physics C.

it is not that hard really. There are more kids like that than there are spots in all the ivies

[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?

The first layer of competition is between your student and peers at their school. Unlikely that any school will admit all applicants from any school. Your kid needs to have a higher GPA taking the most rigorous courses offered.

A kid that has a non-weighted 4.0 with Algebra II and Environmental Science as their math and science courses will not be accepted over a kid with a 3.85 who has multi variable Calc and Physics C. But the 3.85 kid will loose out to one that has a 4.0 who has also taken multi variable Calc and Physics C.

+++++

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

The first layer of competition is between your student and peers at their school. Unlikely that any school will admit all applicants from any school. Your kid needs to have a higher GPA taking the most rigorous courses offered.

A kid that has a non-weighted 4.0 with Algebra II and Environmental Science as their math and science courses will not be accepted over a kid with a 3.85 who has multi variable Calc and Physics C. But the 3.85 kid will loose out to one that has a 4.0 who has also taken multi variable Calc and Physics C.

But we are not talking about Algebra II when someone is applying to ivy.

3.85 multi variable Calc and Physics C would lose out to 4.0, Calc AB or precal (environmental science).
If a kid wants ivy and wants rigor, they need to get 4.0 in multi variable Calc and Physics C.

False. Your high school offers multi variable. Ivy takes highest gpa and max rigor, which means 4.0 in multi variable and physics c. Ivy does not take that calculus ab 4.0 kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

The first layer of competition is between your student and peers at their school. Unlikely that any school will admit all applicants from any school. Your kid needs to have a higher GPA taking the most rigorous courses offered.

A kid that has a non-weighted 4.0 with Algebra II and Environmental Science as their math and science courses will not be accepted over a kid with a 3.85 who has multi variable Calc and Physics C. But the 3.85 kid will loose out to one that has a 4.0 who has also taken multi variable Calc and Physics C.

But we are not talking about Algebra II when someone is applying to ivy.

3.85 multi variable Calc and Physics C would lose out to 4.0, Calc AB or precal (environmental science).
If a kid wants ivy and wants rigor, they need to get 4.0 in multi variable Calc and Physics C.

it is not that hard really. There are more kids like that than there are spots in all the ivies

Correct. DC’s friends at an ivy, all took either multi variable or linear algebra or both, and aced them in high school. Super common at ivies, feels like everyone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At DD’s private (in DMV area), it seems standard for kids to drop down in rigor if they don’t get As. That’s how a few have managed their GPAs to be in the top ten percent of the class (e.g., go from Calc BC to Calc AB).

They do it at ours too, but then those kids do not get in to any T10/ivy privates unless they have a big hook. Parents have been surprised over the years when there are 2 to 3 kids with the 4.0 and all the top classes, easily 1530+ on first try. They do not think that is possible because their little johnny couldn't do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

The first layer of competition is between your student and peers at their school. Unlikely that any school will admit all applicants from any school. Your kid needs to have a higher GPA taking the most rigorous courses offered.

A kid that has a non-weighted 4.0 with Algebra II and Environmental Science as their math and science courses will not be accepted over a kid with a 3.85 who has multi variable Calc and Physics C. But the 3.85 kid will loose out to one that has a 4.0 who has also taken multi variable Calc and Physics C.

But we are not talking about Algebra II when someone is applying to ivy.

3.85 multi variable Calc and Physics C would lose out to 4.0, Calc AB or precal (environmental science).
If a kid wants ivy and wants rigor, they need to get 4.0 in multi variable Calc and Physics C.

it is not that hard really. There are more kids like that than there are spots in all the ivies

Correct. DC’s friends at an ivy, all took either multi variable or linear algebra or both, and aced them in high school. Super common at ivies, feels like everyone

ding ding ding, same with my kid at her ivy. They all had that, among unhooked at least. There are some hooked ones that don't but they are not chem or physics or engineering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

The first layer of competition is between your student and peers at their school. Unlikely that any school will admit all applicants from any school. Your kid needs to have a higher GPA taking the most rigorous courses offered.

A kid that has a non-weighted 4.0 with Algebra II and Environmental Science as their math and science courses will not be accepted over a kid with a 3.85 who has multi variable Calc and Physics C. But the 3.85 kid will loose out to one that has a 4.0 who has also taken multi variable Calc and Physics C.

But we are not talking about Algebra II when someone is applying to ivy.

3.85 multi variable Calc and Physics C would lose out to 4.0, Calc AB or precal (environmental science).
If a kid wants ivy and wants rigor, they need to get 4.0 in multi variable Calc and Physics C.

it is not that hard really. There are more kids like that than there are spots in all the ivies

Correct. DC’s friends at an ivy, all took either multi variable or linear algebra or both, and aced them in high school. Super common at ivies, feels like everyone

ding ding ding, same with my kid at her ivy. They all had that, among unhooked at least. There are some hooked ones that don't but they are not chem or physics or engineering.

It’s definitely not just stem kids. Humanities kids too. They all took the highest rigor and aced it in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Same in the Bay Area. The math rigor is mostly about keeping up with the Joneses not about passion or knowledge.