Anonymous
11/11/2025 22:46
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
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
Vent over.
Correct. Multi variable is rare in NYC private.
The high rigor okay gpa ones get in at CMU, Georgia tech.
Humanities ivy admits typically don’t take calculus.
Whatever. It's the norm for maximum rigor at VA publics like Langley and McLean.
Yes. Which is bonkers. Stop the insanity!
Anonymous
11/11/2025 22:43
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
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
Vent over.
Correct. Multi variable is rare in NYC private.
The high rigor okay gpa ones get in at CMU, Georgia tech.
Humanities ivy admits typically don’t take calculus.
Whatever. It's the norm for maximum rigor at VA publics like Langley and McLean.
Anonymous
11/11/2025 22:41
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
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.
What your school think matters is irrelevant to schools like UVA which want to see maximum rigor.
Anonymous
11/11/2025 20:26
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
Average gpa at private is 3.3, we’ve had students with 3.6 off to ivies. DS’s school doesn’t hand out participation trophies and only 4 kids have left with a 4.0 in the schools 100+ yrs. High academic standards and the top schools love it.
Anonymous
11/11/2025 20:24
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
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?
Sure, Jan.
Anonymous
11/11/2025 20:18
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
We are an IB school-I assume the counselor won’t check most rigorous box unless you are going for the full IB diploma? I have wondered about that. My son is, but my daughter didn’t-but she still took 8 IB classes over the 4 years…
Anonymous
11/11/2025 20:14
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
Anonymous wrote:I love how getting a B (88 average) now counts as “struggling” with a rigorous course, while an A (91 average) means you’re a top student who can handle any challenge.
The reality is that the most important numbers are the sheer numbers of applicants vs the comparatively few slot available at “top” schools.
The schools have to thin the herd somehow, and grades is one way. But that doesn’t mean that if you got a B you are a struggling student. It just means you didn’t play the game of musical chairs that is the college admissions process as well as some other kids did.
A 91 is an A- not an A. It drops the GPA a lot. Ask me how I know.
Anonymous
11/11/2025 20:00
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
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.
Our private offers four options: introduction to calculus, Calculus, Advanced Calculus, multivariable calculus.
Ivy admits could take introduction to calculus, or calculus. Humanities could choose not to take calculus at all. They all have very high gpa, e.g., 3.8+.
High rigor kids will not be ivy bound once the gpa is lower than 3.8.
Anonymous
11/11/2025 19:48
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
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.
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.
Anonymous
11/11/2025 19:44
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
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.
This if the biggest culture shock every time I’m here. No one is getting tutoring or outside assistance for work at DD’s school. You just work harder of talk with the teacher, no need to tutor for these courses.
Exactly, but because one idiot in the DMV is doing it, all the rest of them feel the need to do so. There should be an agreement to mutually disarm.
Perhaps the universities should tell the kids who are obviously doing this that if they need all of this tutoring perhaps they aren't that bright and the university doesn't want them. Easy solution.
Anonymous
11/11/2025 19:33
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
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.
This if the biggest culture shock every time I’m here. No one is getting tutoring or outside assistance for work at DD’s school. You just work harder of talk with the teacher, no need to tutor for these courses.
Anonymous
11/11/2025 19:32
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
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
Vent over.
Correct. Multi variable is rare in NYC private.
The high rigor okay gpa ones get in at CMU, Georgia tech.
Humanities ivy admits typically don’t take calculus.
Anonymous
11/11/2025 19:30
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:neither is great for T20 - assume that’s what u r asking
+1 You need an A in the most rigorous class, unless you're extremely wealthy (potential donor), extremely famous, extremely athletic or a legacy preference kid of a prominent alum....
How many % of kids really get all As in the most rigorous classes in a school that doesn't grade inflate??
Not many. My kid did and got in RD at two Ivies, 2 T10s and several T20s. From what I understood, that’s part of what set him apart.
Anonymous
11/11/2025 19:25
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
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.
Private schools steer kids by both gpa and rigor. But gpa counts heavily in the steering process. As many have mentioned on dcum, the ivy admits must have a high gpa, a high rigor is not necessary. At our school, the ivy admits tend to game the system by taking lower rigor courses.
Anonymous
11/11/2025 18:27
Subject: Do top colleges only consider students in the most rigorous courses in the same school?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:neither is great for T20 - assume that’s what u r asking
+1 You need an A in the most rigorous class, unless you're extremely wealthy (potential donor), extremely famous, extremely athletic or a legacy preference kid of a prominent alum....
I love when DCUM spews nothing from reality.
What is this supposed to mean? it's true. My harvard legacy top stats kid didn't get in - we hadn't given enough and never will be able to. It is what it is.