Anonymous
Post 01/05/2025 18:46     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think the local reps esp UVA, WM, UMD know the schools courses and don't necessarily care what is checked. But it would be where your kid stands that matters.

But for other schools that don't have a lot of kids applying, yes, I do think it would matter if they were highly selective.


Whitman doesn’t rank. How would reps know where they stand?


Every school sends a school profile which breaks down gpa bands into percentiles. It is easy for AD to see where a kid falls based on that info.


Not really. There’s no way to discern ranking between peer students. Colleges don’t bother trying when schools don’t rank. They just judge their transcript.


Let’s say there are 520 senior kids in a fcps. The school profile will say the GPA range for the class is bw 4.59 and a 1.26. Students who apply and have a 4.5+ will be known to be at the very top. So exact ranking can’t be determined except for the kids with the 4.59 the 1.26…but a general idea of the top and bottom can be.


What happens though when a class has an outlier kid? Two years ago the highest GPA at my kid's school was a 4.8+. Last year it was 4.6+. There are always a few kids at his school who skip ahead in math so that they are taking calculus freshman year, though the school has restrictions on taking APs freshman and sophomore years.

There is an outlier kid in my son's junior class this year and my kid's already wondering how that affects other kids (like him) who will have 4.5+ - 4.6+ (more normal for his school).
Anonymous
Post 01/05/2025 17:47     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think the local reps esp UVA, WM, UMD know the schools courses and don't necessarily care what is checked. But it would be where your kid stands that matters.

But for other schools that don't have a lot of kids applying, yes, I do think it would matter if they were highly selective.


Whitman doesn’t rank. How would reps know where they stand?


Every school sends a school profile which breaks down gpa bands into percentiles. It is easy for AD to see where a kid falls based on that info.


Not really. There’s no way to discern ranking between peer students. Colleges don’t bother trying when schools don’t rank. They just judge their transcript.


The college counselor letter will say the most positive thing—top 10% or top few or top overall GPA (current val) even if they do not send GPA tiers. Plus, all top colleges including UVa track previous admits, WL and rejects from each Hs from previous years (in other words, the college version of scoir or naviance, or some colleges have their own data tracker) That alone is enough data to have a good idea of general relative rank
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2025 22:59     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dean J of UVA said they don’t care about the box - they evaluate the transcripts themselves.

My Mcps counselor said my kid with 8 APs would qualify because they took an AP math. It was Calc AB. But I suspect they might check it even for AP Stats.


I didn’t quite get a straight answer whether you had to do an AP in every core area, but that would be my guess.

I would think it’s obvious that it depends on the school. Every school doesn’t have the same courses. They have to be careful about alienating people at schools that don’t have a lot of APs.


What MCPS high school (the context of that response) doesn’t offer at least 1 AP in each of the 5 core areas? I don’t think any fail to do so.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2025 15:05     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If a school counselor checks any box but “most demanding” is that disqualifying for selective public schools like UMD or W&M? I have no idea how DD’s MCPS “W” counselor will rate her 8 APs across all core subjects and all other honors classes (except freshman band, PE, entry language courses not allowing honors). And how about variations in APs (World versus American History, Calc AB versus BC)? Is there a formula they use to determine this? Has anyone asked a counselor directly how they ranked a student? How much does this box checking matter if colleges can see the transcript and school report themselves?


no formula but holiday gifts sometime helps

+1
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2025 11:31     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
It seems like people don't want their counselors to be transparent. Why not?
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2025 07:52     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think the local reps esp UVA, WM, UMD know the schools courses and don't necessarily care what is checked. But it would be where your kid stands that matters.

But for other schools that don't have a lot of kids applying, yes, I do think it would matter if they were highly selective.


Whitman doesn’t rank. How would reps know where they stand?


I mean, if your school is sending in apps with 12 APS taken, by most, a person with 6 wouldn't be seen as most rigorous.

And we are in FCPS which doesn't rank, but I found out this year that they do the % bands, so they might as well rank. They've told us for years no ranking but that was BS. It will be quite obvious where my kid is based off of GPA percentile bands.


Yes it will be obvious. They should tell parents the truth. Ours “does not rank and does not check the box” yet the school profile and counselor letter provides all of the details necessary for an AO to easily assess relative rank and rigor.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2025 06:41     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dean J of UVA said they don’t care about the box - they evaluate the transcripts themselves.

My Mcps counselor said my kid with 8 APs would qualify because they took an AP math. It was Calc AB. But I suspect they might check it even for AP Stats.


I didn’t quite get a straight answer whether you had to do an AP in every core area, but that would be my guess.

I would think it’s obvious that it depends on the school. Every school doesn’t have the same courses. They have to be careful about alienating people at schools that don’t have a lot of APs.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2025 02:21     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think the local reps esp UVA, WM, UMD know the schools courses and don't necessarily care what is checked. But it would be where your kid stands that matters.

But for other schools that don't have a lot of kids applying, yes, I do think it would matter if they were highly selective.


Whitman doesn’t rank. How would reps know where they stand?


Every school sends a school profile which breaks down gpa bands into percentiles. It is easy for AD to see where a kid falls based on that info.


Not really. There’s no way to discern ranking between peer students. Colleges don’t bother trying when schools don’t rank. They just judge their transcript.


Let’s say there are 520 senior kids in a fcps. The school profile will say the GPA range for the class is bw 4.59 and a 1.26. Students who apply and have a 4.5+ will be known to be at the very top. So exact ranking can’t be determined except for the kids with the 4.59 the 1.26…but a general idea of the top and bottom can be.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2025 01:30     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think the local reps esp UVA, WM, UMD know the schools courses and don't necessarily care what is checked. But it would be where your kid stands that matters.

But for other schools that don't have a lot of kids applying, yes, I do think it would matter if they were highly selective.


Whitman doesn’t rank. How would reps know where they stand?


Every school sends a school profile which breaks down gpa bands into percentiles. It is easy for AD to see where a kid falls based on that info.


Not really. There’s no way to discern ranking between peer students. Colleges don’t bother trying when schools don’t rank. They just judge their transcript.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2025 00:59     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
Anonymous wrote:Dean J of UVA said they don’t care about the box - they evaluate the transcripts themselves.

My Mcps counselor said my kid with 8 APs would qualify because they took an AP math. It was Calc AB. But I suspect they might check it even for AP Stats.


I didn’t quite get a straight answer whether you had to do an AP in every core area, but that would be my guess.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2025 00:58     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
Dean J of UVA said they don’t care about the box - they evaluate the transcripts themselves.

My Mcps counselor said my kid with 8 APs would qualify because they took an AP math. It was Calc AB. But I suspect they might check it even for AP Stats.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 19:12     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
Anonymous wrote:The colleges make their own determination. They don't care what the counselor checks.


Ummm no
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 19:11     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think the local reps esp UVA, WM, UMD know the schools courses and don't necessarily care what is checked. But it would be where your kid stands that matters.

But for other schools that don't have a lot of kids applying, yes, I do think it would matter if they were highly selective.


Whitman doesn’t rank. How would reps know where they stand?


I mean, if your school is sending in apps with 12 APS taken, by most, a person with 6 wouldn't be seen as most rigorous.

And we are in FCPS which doesn't rank, but I found out this year that they do the % bands, so they might as well rank. They've told us for years no ranking but that was BS. It will be quite obvious where my kid is based off of GPA percentile bands.


Wouldn’t these bands be included in the School Report? Our school lists AP, SAT, and ACT scores in bands but not GPA. Where would one find that info?
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 19:07     Subject: Not “Most Demanding” Courseload
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think the local reps esp UVA, WM, UMD know the schools courses and don't necessarily care what is checked. But it would be where your kid stands that matters.

But for other schools that don't have a lot of kids applying, yes, I do think it would matter if they were highly selective.


Whitman doesn’t rank. How would reps know where they stand?


I mean, if your school is sending in apps with 12 APS taken, by most, a person with 6 wouldn't be seen as most rigorous.

And we are in FCPS which doesn't rank, but I found out this year that they do the % bands, so they might as well rank. They've told us for years no ranking but that was BS. It will be quite obvious where my kid is based off of GPA percentile bands.