Cum Laude is the top twenty percent of the class, so there isn't a GPA requirement, per se. |
You should add that it only includes soph and junior years so there are girls in cum laude who are not top 20% in the grades that are sent with college apps (and girls who are top 20% in the grades that go to colleges that are not cum laude). |
Common sense says it wouldn’t vary that much from one year to another. 3.7 to 3.75, yes. 3.7 to 3.9, not. |
There is a difference between Cum Laude and straight GPA though. CL is only two years. So could have a higher GPA and not be in CL. |
Sure but you are splitting hairs. Very few kids not in cum laude would have a higher GPA than the kids in cum laude. Maybe there is a kid that has a bad first semester sophomore or junior year and otherwise near perfect grades but that’s a rare exception. When you see the kids who make cum laude, it makes sense, these are the academic/smart kids. Almost universally they are also top rigor, which isn’t weighted at NCS. The kids in cum laude fit the profile of the strongest students in the grade, regardless of it being only sophomore and junior year. |
The point is, if 20% gets 3.9, then it's not blood sweat and tears, it's normal distribution. There is a parent here trying hard to say 3.9 is really really rare, but it's not. |