STA is keeping AP classes
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Anonymous
These are not public schools. Being called AP or not will not change anything at a place like STA. Colleges look at rigor. SFS has the math 1 -4 classes which is way harder than the AP classes. And colleges know that. |
Anonymous
how do you figure this? Those 113 tests (taken by 25% of the student body) could be in anything. |
Anonymous
because someone sitting next to you in class takes two more 3 hour exams than you over the course of your 4 years in high school, you look like a slacker? I agree no one knows - but that lack of knowledge goes both ways. |
Anonymous
perhaps but not in any appreciable number. |
Anonymous
Another GDS parent here - your comments **exactly** capture my issues with how GDS runs the process. Everything is "happiness and sunshine" with their office and all of 10th and 11th grade the message is "do nothing, stay relaxed" and then all of a sudden as junior year ends, it ramps to 100. Of course, our outside counselor (yes we have one) told us to basically nod at GDS but to have a totally different and longer arcing game plan because in their experience, GDS under-emphasizes critical things 10th and 11th graders should do to DE-STRESS senior year and to give them the full and equitable access to resources at every college that APs, for example, allow. My favorite GDS line was on the junior parent spring college zoom when the head of their office spent 5 minutes discussing how families should really discuss if "college is right for their kid" - not which college is right but whether going to college at all is right. Jesus f christ - kids go to GDS which is a COLLEGE PREP school - to go to college. Maybe there is 1 kid every other year who doesnt go immediately to college but to frame the *primary* junior college parent zoom w/ that question made me realize what 10 parents whose kids went through GDS in the past told me "Ignore what they tell you, smile at them and run your own play with your outside counselor" - and also "ignore what they recommend for schools list; do your own research" - i sat on that call and realized that this happy talk that GDS pushes is entirely impractical and is designed to make themselves in the College office feel better. There's a whole 'nother thread that can be started around how college offices of elite schools have different incentive structures than the kids. Lots of chatter at GDS in my friend circle of parents around this topic but also at other schools too. School CC's are focused on their own version of "yield maximization" - which is how many (raw count) schools did the kids you cover get into. So the incentive in these hard admission times is to aim lower, more sure things (GDS famous statement in recent years "you must have 3 safety (foundation) on your max list of 10" - why 3 60-70% admit schools? really? the kids should be focused on using EA/ED to REACH not to "settle" - I've heard about lots of coaching to "settle" at middle tier schools with EA/ED. Not entirely caused by GDS or its ilk - the ED system perpetuates....but reality is private school CC's have a vastly different incentive than the kid - certainly on the margins and maybe fully. |
Anonymous
Exactly this! - and when 6-12 kids are applying ED/EA each to Yale and Brown and Columbia (that's the case this year) , what factors will those schools look at outside of grades, and course difficulty if those are amongst a subset of the 6-12? the AOs clearly look at competitiveness out of a given Big3 itself. |
Anonymous
The college profile says GDS doesn’t rank. It doesn’t compute a GPA. Rather, GDS tells the colleges that 40% of the kids that took an AP get a 5. If APs don’t matter, why lead with that? |
Anonymous
Precisely - college office not practicing what they preach. Parents need to send emails about this (probably after the Jan 1 due dates for RD). Inconsistent doubletalk. Take the AP scores off of the profile then!! |
Anonymous
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Are other schools who took the same moves as GDS (schools like Sidwell and Potomac) putting AP stats front and center in the 2022-23 college profile?
GDS doesnt do much without coordinating with or looking to Sidwell so it would be great to know if anyone has knowledge what Sidwell is doing on college profile related to AP reporting |
Anonymous
This is an interesting "take" but I have never gotten the sense that it's easy for rich/athletic/connected kids to get As in Sidwell's English/History courses. That said, there is variation in difficulty of grading - so maybe the kids you mention are assigned to the easier teachers? I have no idea whether that would be true or not. |
Anonymous
Sidwell profile says, STUDENT RANKING Sidwell does not compute GPAs or assign class rankings. ACADEMIC AWARDS In accordance with our Quaker principles and our fundamental belief in equality, equity, and the unique and inherent value of each of our students, Sidwell Friends School does not grant academic awards or honors. The purpose of the profile is to help colleges evaluate the candidates. Saying everyone is equal is not helpful. |
Anonymous
Same type of messaging coming from Sidwell - especially CCO. This is particularly problematic for parents that followed the messaging without getting outside advice (whether that be their own research or a hired advisor). |
Anonymous
You really think any selective college still looks at this? They’ve been seeing a dozen GDS applicants a year for years. To assume this matter is completely speculative. What is interesting is that the number of students taking AP exams and the overall number of exams dropped by 1/3 from the prior year. If your theory is correct we should see that number go up as students realize that the number of AP exams you take matters. It sure seems like the lesson people are learning is that it doesn’t. |
Anonymous
Sure I follow your logic...but why would GDS post these stats on APs to colleges if they spent the last 3 years decidedly arguing to students that AP tests should not be taken. It certainly does not help clarify anything to admission officers, right? So why post it? If the intent is for the UK schools, then create a unique UK version of the profile - that is very easy to do. It's either incompetence or malice, right? Why else would they not remove the AP stats from 2023 college profile? |
Anonymous
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STA parent here. Boys routinely take AP exams in classes that don’t have AP designations too and anecdotally, my kid felt adequately prepared from the non-AP-designated classes. No APs are typically taken freshmen year (although there are some exceptions when kids are particularly advanced in math or science).
My son was happy to take the tests bc he is applying to colleges where they accept AP credit. I don’t perceive he has any advantage in admissions compared to kids with no APs. And he may not take spring tests if he ends up at a school that doesn’t grant AP credits. And, my understanding is the designation stated both bc the college board sued STA specifically as well as long t edited teachers being pretty happy with the curriculum and not wanting to change (though my guess if they would teach the same thing if the AP designation was dropped. |