Anonymous
03/04/2026 07:53
Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
My child’s small private school does not offer any AP classes except APUSH. She took honors classes and had strong LORs.
She went test optional. 4.5 GPA.
She was accepted to UVM, F&M, UofMaryland Honors and Bucknell.
She went test optional. 4.5 GPA.
She was accepted to UVM, F&M, UofMaryland Honors and Bucknell.
Anonymous
03/04/2026 07:24
Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:top rigor not required from our private. kids with better grades and non top rigor did better in college admissions than kids with slightly lower grades in all top rigor classes.
Seems the same at my kids’school. I blame the convoluted (noAP) explanation in the academic profile they send to colleges.
Anonymous
03/04/2026 07:10
Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
This is (1) high school dependent, (2) major dependent, and (3) college dependent. Look at your school data, and look at CDS of various colleges.
Take Cornell as an example:
https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2018/11/a-look-inside-how-cornell-accepts-its-students
However, grades are not the only thing that the admissions officers value on transcripts. In addition to the level of performance, Locke said Cornell also looks at how demanding those courses are. In colleges like CALS, where students must pick a major or at least specify a general subject in their applications, admission officers will also take into consideration whether the students have taken and performed well in classes relevant to their intended major.
“If you’re applying to biological engineering, then you need to have very robust … coursework in math and science,” Tan said. “Otherwise, you won’t be able to handle the work here.”
When evaluating transcripts, Cornell doesn’t compare students from different schools, as high schools across the country differ in the depth and width of course offerings. The selection criteria is based on whether the applicant is taking “the most challenging courses within their school” and their performance compared to other students from the same school, and not on the number of AP courses they have taken.
Take Cornell as an example:
https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2018/11/a-look-inside-how-cornell-accepts-its-students
However, grades are not the only thing that the admissions officers value on transcripts. In addition to the level of performance, Locke said Cornell also looks at how demanding those courses are. In colleges like CALS, where students must pick a major or at least specify a general subject in their applications, admission officers will also take into consideration whether the students have taken and performed well in classes relevant to their intended major.
“If you’re applying to biological engineering, then you need to have very robust … coursework in math and science,” Tan said. “Otherwise, you won’t be able to handle the work here.”
When evaluating transcripts, Cornell doesn’t compare students from different schools, as high schools across the country differ in the depth and width of course offerings. The selection criteria is based on whether the applicant is taking “the most challenging courses within their school” and their performance compared to other students from the same school, and not on the number of AP courses they have taken.
Anonymous
03/04/2026 07:05
Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is much fiction flying around on this thread. People are anxious.
Which part do you think is fiction?
The fictional part: treat any one data point as magical. Laying out the anecdotal "rules" as the absolute truth.
The fact: Holistic review, NO ONE SINGLE data point is magical.
Anonymous
03/04/2026 06:54
Subject: Rigor - Is it that important?
Top rigor only in area of study ok for Princeton, Michigan, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, UCLA.
In my experience
In my experience
Anonymous
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?
top 20? top 20-30? Top 30-60?
Anonymous
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.