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

[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.

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.

Depends on major and whether you're a recruited athlete.

[Anonymous]

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.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our public, “most rigorous” is not a literal
interpretation. You don’t have to literally take the highest level in each subject to get it. It’s actually a pretty low bar - I think you have to take 6 AP/DE equivalent classes total to qualify for the designation.

How did you find this out?

[Anonymous]

School counselor checking “most rigorous” for course load doesn’t really mean anything - AO’s will review the transcript and make their own judgement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Many kids in the Bay Area take Calc BC even before 11th grade though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Many kids in the Bay Area take Calc BC even before 11th grade though.

Calc BC is very common in sophomore year of high school. You'll see some seniors in it too.

[Anonymous]

At our private only 10 or so kids (out of class of 115) wind up in MV calc by Senior year. They all invariably wind up at Ivys/Duke/T15 schools or top SLAC’s so there must be something to the rigor argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our public, “most rigorous” is not a literal
interpretation. You don’t have to literally take the highest level in each subject to get it. It’s actually a pretty low bar - I think you have to take 6 AP/DE equivalent classes total to qualify for the designation.

How did you find this out?

I asked them (guidance.) Counselors each year meet with their students to discuss/approve the schedule request for the following year. Before junior year we asked, “Will this schedule qualify her for the “most rigorous schedule” designation?” and they explained how it works there. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It amazes me that so many parents hear this and want that environment for their child in college. I want my child to enjoy college and their future life. This level of intensity in perpetuity (because those families then pursue the most “elite” grad schools and professions) does not seem like the path to happiness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It amazes me that so many parents hear this and want that environment for their child in college. I want my child to enjoy college and their future life. This level of intensity in perpetuity (because those families then pursue the most “elite” grad schools and professions) does not seem like the path to happiness.

Some kids get satisfaction out of challenging themselves and succeeding. And some kids are able to take the highest level of classes in all subjects, excel, and still have a life outside of the classroom. My kid is like this. She wants to go to a top LAC and then to med school. Why is that a certain path to unhappiness?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grades matter more than rigor at our top private. If you don't think you can get all As in the top classes, it is much wiser to take a level down and do well.

I.e. take non honors math, calculus AB, etc.

This is probably advice that varies by school. The best thing to do is to look at the results or your own high school.

Is avg grade an A in the top classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our private only 10 or so kids (out of class of 115) wind up in MV calc by Senior year. They all invariably wind up at Ivys/Duke/T15 schools or top SLAC’s so there must be something to the rigor argument.

This did not happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our public, “most rigorous” is not a literal
interpretation. You don’t have to literally take the highest level in each subject to get it. It’s actually a pretty low bar - I think you have to take 6 AP/DE equivalent classes total to qualify for the designation.

How did you find this out?

Each school has a “fact sheet” they submit to the university that gives details on the student body. Percent of students in each gpa bracket, Classes offered, average number of APs/IB taken, number of students making all district, all region, all state awards for sports, etc. You can ask your advisor for a copy. They are not universally the same, schools develop