Anonymous
02/04/2026 10:21
Subject: Median HS GPA at Big 3?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:And do people actually truly know what the median GPA is at Sidwell, GDS, Maret or STA/NCS? I would think that info is not available. All I've heard is that a 4.0 is very rare at these schools and that a 3.5 is respectable. No idea what is true or not.
It's all speculative. Ideally, you want a 3.7+ from these schools for the most selective colleges.
Ideally, yes, but there are instances where kids with GPAs of 3.3 to 3.5 and good test scores are admitted to Ivy League schools and top-tier universities. The rigor of these schools is well-known and considered when evaluating applicants. However, the admissions process varies from year to year.
Not from NCS. You need a 3.8 minimum for top 20s, preferably 3.9. 3.7 won't cut it if you are not hooked. Maybe it's different at Sidwell.
Sidwell isn’t inflated like NCS so yes, it’s different
Anonymous
02/04/2026 09:57
Subject: Median HS GPA at Big 3?
Keep in mind this thread and the posts people are responding to are from 2022. Things may have changed, especially regarding GPAs etc needed to get into top colleges.
Anonymous
02/04/2026 09:55
Subject: Median HS GPA at Big 3?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:And do people actually truly know what the median GPA is at Sidwell, GDS, Maret or STA/NCS? I would think that info is not available. All I've heard is that a 4.0 is very rare at these schools and that a 3.5 is respectable. No idea what is true or not.
It's all speculative. Ideally, you want a 3.7+ from these schools for the most selective colleges.
Ideally, yes, but there are instances where kids with GPAs of 3.3 to 3.5 and good test scores are admitted to Ivy League schools and top-tier universities. The rigor of these schools is well-known and considered when evaluating applicants. However, the admissions process varies from year to year.
Not from NCS. You need a 3.8 minimum for top 20s, preferably 3.9. 3.7 won't cut it if you are not hooked. Maybe it's different at Sidwell.
Anonymous
02/04/2026 07:44
Subject: Median HS GPA at Big 3?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Always keep in mind that the rigor counts as much, if not more -- the kid with a 3.7 who takes all baseline classes will be viewed in a very different light from the one who takes all advanced/accelerated/AP classes. The GPA is viewed in the context of the school, what's available, and to what extent the student pushed themselves. The number alone is meaningless.
Have not seen this coming from 2 different Big3 schools over the past 2 yrs. GPA is what matters. Rigor not so much.
Get the highest GPA you can and be very strategic about which courses your child takes to facilitate this.
From another "Big 3" parent, this is the exact opposite of what we're seeing when it comes to the most selective colleges/universities (aside from kids with clear hooks (legacy and sports). Yes, GPA matters, but these schools look closely at the rigor of their courses in the context of that GPA.
Anonymous
02/04/2026 07:05
Subject: Median HS GPA at Big 3?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:And do people actually truly know what the median GPA is at Sidwell, GDS, Maret or STA/NCS? I would think that info is not available. All I've heard is that a 4.0 is very rare at these schools and that a 3.5 is respectable. No idea what is true or not.
It's all speculative. Ideally, you want a 3.7+ from these schools for the most selective colleges.
Ideally, yes, but there are instances where kids with GPAs of 3.3 to 3.5 and good test scores are admitted to Ivy League schools and top-tier universities. The rigor of these schools is well-known and considered when evaluating applicants. However, the admissions process varies from year to year.
Anonymous
02/04/2026 07:04
Subject: Median HS GPA at Big 3?
Anonymous wrote:Always keep in mind that the rigor counts as much, if not more -- the kid with a 3.7 who takes all baseline classes will be viewed in a very different light from the one who takes all advanced/accelerated/AP classes. The GPA is viewed in the context of the school, what's available, and to what extent the student pushed themselves. The number alone is meaningless.
Have not seen this coming from 2 different Big3 schools over the past 2 yrs. GPA is what matters. Rigor not so much.
Get the highest GPA you can and be very strategic about which courses your child takes to facilitate this.
Anonymous
02/04/2026 06:49
Subject: Median HS GPA at Big 3?
Always keep in mind that the rigor counts as much, if not more -- the kid with a 3.7 who takes all baseline classes will be viewed in a very different light from the one who takes all advanced/accelerated/AP classes. The GPA is viewed in the context of the school, what's available, and to what extent the student pushed themselves. The number alone is meaningless.
Anonymous
02/04/2026 00:17
Subject: Median HS GPA at Big 3?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:And do people actually truly know what the median GPA is at Sidwell, GDS, Maret or STA/NCS? I would think that info is not available. All I've heard is that a 4.0 is very rare at these schools and that a 3.5 is respectable. No idea what is true or not.
It's all speculative. Ideally, you want a 3.7+ from these schools for the most selective colleges.
OK, thanks.
Anonymous
02/03/2026 18:42
Subject: Re:Median HS GPA at Big 3?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My kid with a similar profile at a Big 3 did not get into an Ivy, but did get in to a top 20. He also did not make the cut for cum laude, so while 3.7 is a strong GPA, it’s not rare, either.
What grade number is a 3.7
I would also like to know. At a school that uses a 100 point scale, how do you convert the gpa?
90-92 is an A- which is a 3.7.
At my HS, 90-92 was B+, 93-94 was A- and 95+ was A. Stop pretending it’s uniform. Colleges know how to convert a score from a particular HS, especially the college prep ones that send a huge majority to college.
Nowhere is a 90-92 a B+. Have never heard of this anywhere from anyone at any school.
Many schools still use that scale, including our K8.
Our catholic uses that scale as well.
Anonymous
02/03/2026 18:41
Subject: Median HS GPA at Big 3?
Anonymous wrote:And do people actually truly know what the median GPA is at Sidwell, GDS, Maret or STA/NCS? I would think that info is not available. All I've heard is that a 4.0 is very rare at these schools and that a 3.5 is respectable. No idea what is true or not.
It's all speculative. Ideally, you want a 3.7+ from these schools for the most selective colleges.
Anonymous
02/03/2026 17:58
Subject: Median HS GPA at Big 3?
And do people actually truly know what the median GPA is at Sidwell, GDS, Maret or STA/NCS? I would think that info is not available. All I've heard is that a 4.0 is very rare at these schools and that a 3.5 is respectable. No idea what is true or not.
Anonymous
02/03/2026 17:52
Subject: Re:Median HS GPA at Big 3?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My kid with a similar profile at a Big 3 did not get into an Ivy, but did get in to a top 20. He also did not make the cut for cum laude, so while 3.7 is a strong GPA, it’s not rare, either.
What grade number is a 3.7
I would also like to know. At a school that uses a 100 point scale, how do you convert the gpa?
90-92 is an A- which is a 3.7.
At my HS, 90-92 was B+, 93-94 was A- and 95+ was A. Stop pretending it’s uniform. Colleges know how to convert a score from a particular HS, especially the college prep ones that send a huge majority to college.
Nowhere is a 90-92 a B+. Have never heard of this anywhere from anyone at any school.
Many schools still use that scale, including our K8.
Anonymous
06/02/2022 14:07
Subject: Median HS GPA at Big 3?
Yeah. What was the problem? Maybe negative references or bombed interviews?
He couldn’t time travel back to 1998 where you apparently are posting from.
I don’t love DCUM snark, but this was pretty funny… Kudos.
Anonymous
06/02/2022 13:36
Subject: Median HS GPA at Big 3?
PP, well-said.
Anonymous
06/02/2022 12:17
Subject: Re:Median HS GPA at Big 3?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don’t know for sure but believe there is only one 10th grader at Sidwell who has had straights As in 9th and 10th grade and has taken the most advanced tracks where offered (math and science). He’s a really nice kid (and not mine😃) and quite unusually gifted across the board.
EXHIBIT 1 for parental toxicity at the top privates in this town. I honestly could not imagine knowing (or wanting to know) this much about someone else's grades. What causes folks to get this unhinged?
I don’t think it is a toxic or unhinged parent - or someone trying to be mean even. Most people who comment on these boards have a limited base of knowledge but declare what they know to be truth - and dash off a quick response in an anonymous Internet forum. Often we have blind spots we don’t realize: in this case, PP probably has a kid in the top math and science track and doesn’t realize, despite that insight, there are likely kids who they don’t know. They even said they don’t know for sure.
I also think determining parental toxicity of all the “top privates” from an anonymous board is an overreaction. It reminds me of that meme about Twitter (which could proxy for DCUM);
How [DCUM] works:
Me:
"I prefer mangoes to oranges..."
Random Person:
"So basically what you're saying is that you hate oranges? You also failed to mention pineapples, bananas and grapefruits. Educate yourself. I am literally shaking.”