Anonymous
Post 03/04/2026 00:49     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
What kind of schools are you asking about, OP?
top 20? top 20-30? Top 30-60?
Anonymous
Post 03/04/2026 00:24     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:3.98/4.5, 1560 got WL at UVA a couple years ago.
4y FL, World, APUSH, APGov, Phy C-Mech, E&M, Calc BC, Calc 3/Linear BUT no lang nor lit. Yep, rigor in ALL areas.


Not in English. UVA is infamous for wanting top rigor in all 5 core areas.


Oh sorry - you were saying you need rigor in all areas. Misunderstood. We agree.
Anonymous
Post 03/04/2026 00:23     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:3.98/4.5, 1560 got WL at UVA a couple years ago.
4y FL, World, APUSH, APGov, Phy C-Mech, E&M, Calc BC, Calc 3/Linear BUT no lang nor lit. Yep, rigor in ALL areas.


Not in English. UVA is infamous for wanting top rigor in all 5 core areas.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 23:39     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
3.98/4.5, 1560 got WL at UVA a couple years ago.
4y FL, World, APUSH, APGov, Phy C-Mech, E&M, Calc BC, Calc 3/Linear BUT no lang nor lit. Yep, rigor in ALL areas.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 23:38     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote: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



+1
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 23:36     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: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..


No you need both to get into a top
School. you need rigor. And superlative grades. Period.


One hundred percent true, if unhooked
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 23:31     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?

You know SEVERAL kids that attend a T20, their HS course schedule AND their GPAs? Are you a guidance counselor?
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 23:26     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:There is much fiction flying around on this thread. People are anxious.


Which part do you think is fiction?
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 23:14     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:I know the kids, what they took, and what they got in those classes. My kid and all his friends share info, they basically all know eachother's business.


And then he runs home and shares the info with Mommy? Ick!
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2026 23:09     Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote: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..


No you need both to get into a top
School. you need rigor. And superlative grades. Period.
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