Question about HS GPA

[kwillia]

AP Test are hard because they have to cover the range of knowledge expected in order to move on to the next level of that subject matter. The scoring is 1 to 5. Most colleges only accept credits of 4 and 5 because of this expectation. It would be stupid to get a 3 or below and WANT to get credit and move on to the next level. That is a setup for failure when the costs are high and consequences huge!

 

[PeoplesElbow]

For your consideration ...



I disagree about the math. However. If students were taught science or technology back then. You can bet that those students would have passed those classes.

For most students back in the day, only up to an 8th grade education was all that was necessary. But then, that is all what most needed to be productive, truly educated, members of society. Of course, also, back then, we were much more of an agricultural and industrial society. Only those that wanted to become physicians, or engineers, or scientists, etc., went on to further education. Then of course, having a degree back then, really did mean something. Unlike today where degrees are issued in such large numbers they've lost their value and are more like toilet paper.

The grammar in these questions is pretty poor.

#6 how often is the interest compounded

 

[PeoplesElbow]

AP Test are hard because they have to cover the range of knowledge expected in order to move on to the next level of that subject matter. The scoring is 1 to 5. Most colleges only accept credits of 4 and 5 because of this expectation. It would be stupid to get a 3 or below and WANT to get credit and move on to the next level. That is a setup for failure when the costs are high and consequences huge!

Depends, a history class usually doesn't depend on another history class. English class...maybe but for the most part not really. Calculus 2 definitely depends on Calc 1.

 

[kwillia]

Depends, a history class usually doesn't depend on another history class. English class...maybe but for the most part not really. Calculus 2 definitely depends on Calc 1.

It does not depend. You are tested to rate whether you have mastered the course.

 

[3CATSAILOR]

I know that since the Dark Ages when I went to high school, some schools do things a LITTLE differently, weighting GPA based at least PARTLY on difficulty (for example, honors or AP classes). When I was in high school, we had two valedictorians - one without question one of the smartest kids I've ever known - by graduation he had taken every math and science class offered AND had a few added just for HIM AND took advance placement classes at a local college -

And he shared it with a girl who took basic classes, typing, chorus, basic math, business. Nothing anyone would regard as academically challenging.

They both had straight A's. The guy was in a class by himself, and worse - he was as uncharacteristically geeky as anyone you'd know, especially for a math/science nerd. Extensive knowledge of literature and philosophy, and knew a couple languages. Supremely brilliant.

I always thought it was unfair. He was so smart, he deserved the first five places all by himself.

Do they take difficulty into account?

I have a reason, of course. I have a VERY smart girl who is taking almost all advanced classes - and having a little difficulty (as in, B's mostly). I'd really hate to see her GPA look poor when she takes on such a heavy academic load.

Did you marry her?

 

[PeoplesElbow]

AP Test are hard because they have to cover the range of knowledge expected in order to move on to the next level of that subject matter.

It does not depend. You are tested to rate whether you have mastered the course.

What Im saying is classes like history don't have a next level.

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

What Im saying is classes like history don't have a next level.

That depends. If you're History/Social Studies major there certainly are follow on courses. The same way you have to Physics, then Fluidics and then other follow ons.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

That depends. If you're History/Social Studies major there certainly are follow on courses. The same way you have to Physics, then Fluidics and then other follow ons.

Here is the UMD undergrad history major requirements. https://history.umd.edu/academics/undergraduate/history-ba

College girlfriend was a history/political science major they had quite a bit of freedom of what classes they could take. Pretty sure the only prereqs were you had to have so many classes at a lower level to take the higher level courses. The UMD history dept seems to be much the same. Honestly I thought her degree was bullshit.

 

[SamSpade]

Did you marry her?

If you're referring to the girl I mentioned in the last line, that's my daughter.

 

[kwillia]

Sam, something not yet mentioned, it’s not just grades and GPAs. College applications will be looking for clubs, community service, etc. Your daughter needs to be doing volunteer work, participating in extracurricular activities. GPA is only a percentage of weight for acceptance.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Sam, something not yet mentioned, it’s not just grades and GPAs. College applications will be looking for clubs, community service, etc. Your daughter needs to be doing volunteer work, participating in extracurricular activities. GPA is only a percentage of weight for acceptance.

Fancy schools, large state schools look at GPA and test scores. If it's a school that does interviews most likely, otherwise they don't care about BS clubs students join to have it on an application because they know most are just that, application fluff.

 

[LightRoasted]

For your consideration ...

The grammar in these questions is pretty poor.

#6 how often is the interest compounded

It appears you are having a problem with 8th grade math. I don't see the word "often".

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

Fancy schools, large state schools look at GPA and test scores. If it's a school that does interviews most likely, otherwise they don't care about BS clubs students join to have it on an application because they know most are just that, application fluff.

My God you're wrong. Every college at every level that has competitive admissions out there looks at activities (sports, SGA, clubs, Scouts, after school work) when making admission decisions, especially ones where the applicant had a leadership role.

Two kids with exactly the same academics vying for admission, one who was an academic drudge the other with an activity, the second will get in. In many case the drudge won't get in while someone with a lower GPA but activities will.

That's what's also happened with AP courses. The kid without an AP or three on his transcript is at an admission disadvantage even if the kid with AP's got 1's on all the tests and C's in the classes.

Just for the record, even though I was my school's AP Coordinator for over a decade and taught a couple different AP classes, I'm actually not a big proponent of what they've become and what's happened with the use of them (Prince George's, as well as a few other Counties require every student to take the exam whether they're really prepared or not and uses the scores for evaluations [which is really interesting since the scores aren't released until July and are a lagging indicator])

 

[LightRoasted]

For your consideration ...

My God you're wrong. Every college at every level that has competitive admissions out there looks at activities (sports, SGA, clubs, Scouts, after school work) when making admission decisions, especially ones where the applicant had a leadership role.

Exactly when did this come into existence? And for what purpose? Seems more like discrimination. Why not just focus on the academic acumen of a student for admission, rather than some after school activities? Because what you are saying, is, that someone only just participating in a knitting or crocheting club, would be picked for admission before someone without any after school activity.

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

For your consideration ...



Exactly when did this come into existence? And for what purpose? Seems more like discrimination. Why not just focus on the academic acumen of a student for admission, rather than some after school activities? Because what you are saying, is, that someone only just participating in a knitting or crocheting club, would be picked for admission before someone without any after school activity.

It's always been that way, kids with outside interests were given points, if you will, for that. I started college 50 years ago this past Monday and it was like that then. Colleges look for, and really always have at least in the modern era when admissions opened up (call it the 1950's) for individuals who were "well rounded". Academics are important, of course, but no school, or employer, wants asocial students or employees. This whole work from home regime will come back to bite a lot of people when it comes to layoffs and promotions.

Go back even to the 30's and see how Eagle Scouts were prize catches for colleges (of course, that was decades before Eagle Factory Scout troops came into existence).

Now, the AP thing is new. It really started kicking in around 2000 or so with that goddamned Challenge Index from Jay Matthews and school systems started promoting themselves as AP powers and Principal started measuring their wieners at meetings using their school's AP numbers.

Then you have the whole competitive parenting thing adding to it.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

My God you're wrong. Every college at every level that has competitive admissions out there looks at activities (sports, SGA, clubs, Scouts, after school work) when making admission decisions, especially ones where the applicant had a leadership role.

Two kids with exactly the same academics vying for admission, one who was an academic drudge the other with an activity, the second will get in. In many case the drudge won't get in while someone with a lower GPA but activities will.

That's what's also happened with AP courses. The kid without an AP or three on his transcript is at an admission disadvantage even if the kid with AP's got 1's on all the tests and C's in the classes.

Just for the record, even though I was my school's AP Coordinator for over a decade and taught a couple different AP classes, I'm actually not a big proponent of what they've become and what's happened with the use of them (Prince George's, as well as a few other Counties require every student to take the exam whether they're really prepared or not and uses the scores for evaluations [which is really interesting since the scores aren't released until July and are a lagging indicator])

Um I have three degrees, two bachelors from two different schools never had to do this.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

For your consideration ...



Exactly when did this come into existence? And for what purpose? Seems more like discrimination. Why not just focus on the academic acumen of a student for admission, rather than some after school activities? Because what you are saying, is, that someone only just participating in a knitting or crocheting club, would be picked for admission before someone without any after school activity.

By the teachers that promote the clubs trying to get kids to join.

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

By the teachers that promote the clubs trying to get kids to join.

No. By college admissions officers who come to the high schools and tell the kids this is what you need.

And with the deemphasis currently happening those other factors will become more important.

There's not a doubt in my mind that your college application asked you to list any activities you were involved in and any rewards you received.

College Myth: Colleges Only Care About GPA and Test Scores

GPA and test scores ARE important, but they're not the only things that colleges consider. Click here for what else comes into play!

www.collegeraptor.com

What Counts in Admission Decisions – Counselors | College Board

Help your students understand what really matters to colleges.

counselors.collegeboard.org

What Do Colleges Look For in Students? | CollegeData

Gain insight into how to get into a good college. Find out what top colleges look for in students on CollegeData, your free online college advisor.

www.collegedata.com

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-colleges-choose-which-students-to-admit

 

[PeoplesElbow]

No. By college admissions officers who come to the high schools and tell the kids this is what you need.

And with the deemphasis currently happening those other factors will become more important.

There's not a doubt in my mind that your college application asked you to list any activities you were involved in and any rewards you received.

College Myth: Colleges Only Care About GPA and Test Scores

GPA and test scores ARE important, but they're not the only things that colleges consider. Click here for what else comes into play!

www.collegeraptor.com

What Counts in Admission Decisions – Counselors | College Board

Help your students understand what really matters to colleges.

counselors.collegeboard.org

What Do Colleges Look For in Students? | CollegeData

Gain insight into how to get into a good college. Find out what top colleges look for in students on CollegeData, your free online college advisor.

www.collegedata.com

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-colleges-choose-which-students-to-admit

From one of your own links

• At very large universities, some admission decisions may be made solely based on GPA and test scores.

If you are going for some science degree that is all they care about, they don't care if you were in the chess club. Washout is a very real thing, my high school valedictorian went to the same school as me, we both entered for mechanical engineering and he didn't get kicked out, but he knew he couldn't do it and ended up leaving school, going somewhere else and getting a business degree. Never understood that, he was the state math champion or some BS like that.

 

[3CATSAILOR]

The new grouping doesn't necessarily mean the low kids are SPED, just that they fall on the low end of "normal" IQ. Many Sped kids have been mainstreamed over the last 40+ years (IDEA adopted in 1977 or so mandated that) but many/most still are in their own classes.

I would typically have a couple high functioning ones in my regular Psych classes because I did a lot of activities which they could do and be successful. I also had to adjust their tests but that wasn't a big deal.

The advantage for a long time was that was a class that the kids had to want to take so all of them were motivated and would help the other kid(s), one time mixing worked.

Towards the end, in addition to me not teaching that class much (I've always believed I was being punished plus other internal staffing issues) the class really degraded. The reason was that we started to have so many 5th and 6th year Seniors (and there were reasons they were 5th and 6th year Seniors and those reasons weren't because they were stellar students or individuals) parachuted into the classes just to fill up their schedules.

College and Univesities claim that the kids coming out of High Schools are not prepared for higher education.