Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 21:44     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Getting A's is more important after a threshold.

Eg in Math getting to Calc B/C with a 'A' is more important than further advancing to post AP courses..
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 21:36     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:Despite what you always hear, I know several non-hooked kids that have gotten into top 20 without top rigor across the board. They all had good GPAs but not top rigor in 100% of their classes.

What is your experience?


From this school, rigor is absolutely the most important.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1312181.page
Look at page 4, two low rigor cases:
96.84, NYIT, Stony Brook
96.82, RPI, Rutgers

Both have very high GPA, but it doesn't compensate for low rigor.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 21:34     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Despite what you always hear, I know several non-hooked kids that have gotten into top 20 without top rigor across the board. They all had good GPAs but not top rigor in 100% of their classes.

What is your experience?


T15-25 not needed to have max in all, just most, especially if ED.
For Top10 especially in RD , all is needed. For anyone with less than top3% GPA for most publics or less than top 10% GPa from most privates, top rigor across the board can boost the slightly borderline GPA.

UChicago is the T10 exception: ED there does not need all top rigor, even if the GPA is borderline.

If your student is not interested in top rigor in all areas why would they want T20?


Northwestern moreso than UChicago - many from our private are admitted ED (sometimes RD) with very minimal rigor. The kids who go to UChicago typically have higher rigor and better test scores.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 21:30     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
I suspect full pay is king, this year, but waiting to hear from RD. Highest rigor, highest SAT, top 3 school, excellent but not perfect GPA with one admit, one ED denial, one EA denial, and one waitlist for Engineering.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 21:25     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:It depends on. If you apply for CS in MIT or CMU, yes, absolutely. If you apply for Gender Studies in Cornell, no.


Not true. Majors are selected after sophomore year. They just care about GPA from my TJ child experience. Even they don’t care about SAT 1580
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 21:23     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Take all the top rigor courses and get the As and be at the top of the class, get the 5s. Unhooked stem major admissions to mulitple T10/ivy and also prepared for the rigor of the selected top school. No need to repeat calc, start i. Multivariable like he other top students
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 20:56     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
There is much fiction flying around on this thread. People are anxious.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 20:46     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Despite what you always hear, I know several non-hooked kids that have gotten into top 20 without top rigor across the board. They all had good GPAs but not top rigor in 100% of their classes.

What is your experience?


T15-25 not needed to have max in all, just most, especially if ED.
For Top10 especially in RD , all is needed. For anyone with less than top3% GPA for most publics or less than top 10% GPa from most privates, top rigor across the board can boost the slightly borderline GPA.

UChicago is the T10 exception: ED there does not need all top rigor, even if the GPA is borderline.

If your student is not interested in top rigor in all areas why would they want T20?


You are mixing two issues together. The first is whether rigor is considered in T20 admissions. The second is the benefit of taking rigor courses in high school.

I think one can game the system to protect GPA by taking less rigor to get into T20 schools. The price is that they wont be as prepared as those who took higher rigor. Wouldn't recommend this to stem kids.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 20:34     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Is the question about rigor for college admissions or rigor for success in college classes? Or rigor for learning? Could be lots of answers to these various questions.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 20:32     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:Despite what you always hear, I know several non-hooked kids that have gotten into top 20 without top rigor across the board. They all had good GPAs but not top rigor in 100% of their classes.

What is your experience?


T15-25 not needed to have max in all, just most, especially if ED.
For Top10 especially in RD , all is needed. For anyone with less than top3% GPA for most publics or less than top 10% GPa from most privates, top rigor across the board can boost the slightly borderline GPA.

UChicago is the T10 exception: ED there does not need all top rigor, even if the GPA is borderline.

If your student is not interested in top rigor in all areas why would they want T20?
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 20:32     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Get through Calc BC if at all possible. Makes college calc so much easier.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 20:15     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:It depends on. If you apply for CS in MIT or CMU, yes, absolutely. If you apply for Gender Studies in Cornell, no.

This! For stem majors, a top GPA may not be enough, it's better to strategically apply to an undersubscribed major. Switch major once they are in.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 20:04     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Taking the AP exam and getting 5s are as important. Maybe take 10+ APs and all 5s is pretty impressive


This isn’t true. AP scores of 4 are fine.


Agree - 4s and 5s are looked at very highly, but in general AP exam scores don't mean what they used to.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 20:03     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
GPA is king but doesn't rigor play into that? At our high school, there's only a weighted GPA so rigor has an impact for sure.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 20:02     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:Taking the AP exam and getting 5s are as important. Maybe take 10+ APs and all 5s is pretty impressive


This isn’t true. AP scores of 4 are fine.