<p>“In a school that uses weighted GPA, you end up in a situation where the student who took the same academic classes, but one less elective ends up rank #1, because those electives drag the GPA down. Imagine having a perfect 4.0 u/w but being #2 because you chose to be in the band or chorus… I’ve seen it happen. farther down the rankings, I would argue the involvement in band, chorus, or another elective might be more valuable than a slightly higher spot in the ranking, but not when it comes to #1 vs #2 - and not in places where a certain rank gains you acceptance or scholarships.”</p>
<p>YES this. Freshman year my son took both Band and Chorus. Prior to the start of 9th grade I spoke with his GC about his goal of being a top graduate. The GC made it clear that that probably would not happen if he continued on with 2 music classes, as it makes it impossible to compete with other students that are taking weighted classes instead. Based on that reality it saddens me to say that he dropped both Band and Chorus in 10th grade to pick up an AP and a dual enrollment class with bonus 10 percent weightings. It was a big sacrifice, but he decided it needed to be done to achieve his goals…I continue to feel torn, but at the end of this year his weighted average will be over 100, so even if he were able to get a 100 average in a music class it would actually lower his average…</p>