Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GPA and ranking is idiotic because the kids aren't taking all the same classes.

Weighting helps with that. But yes, colleges don’t typically care about rank because of what you said.

Weighting doesn’t help with that in mcps since honors and AP are given the exact same weight. I have to think mcps has one of the least effective and demonstrative grading systems in the country.

It helps to recognize that it mostly is out of 5 not 4. A weighted 4.0 is basically a B student. An actual 5 is not possible but you need over a 4.5 to stand out for sure.

But if 20-40% are above a 4.5 it doesn’t help much. Need to be over a 4.7.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GPA and ranking is idiotic because the kids aren't taking all the same classes.

Weighting helps with that. But yes, colleges don’t typically care about rank because of what you said.

Weighting doesn’t help with that in mcps since honors and AP are given the exact same weight. I have to think mcps has one of the least effective and demonstrative grading systems in the country.

It helps to recognize that it mostly is out of 5 not 4. A weighted 4.0 is basically a B student. An actual 5 is not possible but you need over a 4.5 to stand out for sure.

By statute, the State of Maryland recognizes the top 5% of each high school's graduating class. At our MCPS HS (and I assume most others), the award is given out at the senior awards ceremony each May.

Students receiving the award don't find out in advance, and it's certainly not awarded in time to include in college apps, but those in the top 5% are recognized -- without any indication at our HS of how the top 5% is calculated.

https://casetext.com/statute/code-of-maryland/article-education/division-ii-elementary-and-secondary-education/title-7-public-schools/subtitle-2-evaluation-and-graduation-of-students/section-7-207-state-merit-scholastic-awards-program

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait - mcps high schools don’t have valedictorians??

They do not have valedictorians.

Plenty of old threads on this topic- search function is your friend.

QO does. Over 30 last year.

There's a joke in there somewhere. Perfect example of how f'ed MCPS is.

QO has like 40 different kids of awards tassels too. Don't get me started.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GPA and ranking is idiotic because the kids aren't taking all the same classes.

Weighting helps with that. But yes, colleges don’t typically care about rank because of what you said.

Weighting doesn’t help with that in mcps since honors and AP are given the exact same weight. I have to think mcps has one of the least effective and demonstrative grading systems in the country.

Anonymous wrote:GPA and ranking is idiotic because the kids aren't taking all the same classes.

Weighting helps with that. But yes, colleges don’t typically care about rank because of what you said.

Whitman has no rank, no valedictorian, no honors society of any sort. It is virtually impossible to distinguish oneself academically.

GPA and ranking is idiotic because the kids aren't taking all the same classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We only found out top 5% at graduation, in the program. No banquet or anything like a PP mentioned. They definitely don’t rank.

End of year program has two sets of awards
Top 5%
Top 10%

But, the criteria differ within the two categories.

For top 10% the weighted GPA matters. So, two students taking very different levels of rigor can both be in the top 10%.

For top 5%, a student who got all As and took three APs could beat out a student who took twelve APs, but got two Bs.

You mean unweighted for the 10%?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait - mcps high schools don’t have valedictorians??

They do not have valedictorians.

Plenty of old threads on this topic- search function is your friend.

QO does. Over 30 last year.

There's a joke in there somewhere. Perfect example of how f'ed MCPS is.

I have news for you: it's not just MCPS. It's everywhere. Parents complain about every grade or how their snowflake should be allowed to participate in some advanced program that nobody else believes they're adequately prepared for, and This is the result.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait - mcps high schools don’t have valedictorians??

They do not have valedictorians.

Plenty of old threads on this topic- search function is your friend.

QO does. Over 30 last year.

There's a joke in there somewhere. Perfect example of how f'ed MCPS is.

In MCPS, all kids are ranked #1. All kids matter!!

Anonymous wrote:oh this will be a fun thread. FWIW I don't think you can get a weighted GPA that high in FCPS so you are in anomaly world. Your counselor actually knows even if they say "we don't rank"; yes their computer does rank and they know.

MCPS weights differently from FCPS. Honors classes are a full point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait - mcps high schools don’t have valedictorians??

They do not have valedictorians.

Plenty of old threads on this topic- search function is your friend.

QO does. Over 30 last year.

Anonymous wrote:Wait - mcps high schools don’t have valedictorians??

They do not have valedictorians.

Plenty of old threads on this topic- search function is your friend.