<p>we were completely naive and encouraged electives dependent on S’s interests. One of those was a fairly fluff course that he ended up not doing well in - it was not what he thought it would be (more art less coding) and it got his GPA in huge trouble so we regret not understanding the role it would play and would have had him drop it immediately upon learning it was not what he thought or what he liked, however we do not regret his involvment in his other elective courses - many of which were choir classes and advanced math and science. At his school he got screwed class rank wise. Many kids there take the absolute minimum effort classes, do not plan on attending anything but CC, and end up as high ranking members of their class, while those who toil in difficult subjects and therefore may not recieve the perfect scores are penalized. Still, I would continue to advise my son to be open to difficult things and to take them on.</p>
<p>yes I am still struggling with that one.</p>
<p>Skyhook, be careful what you wish for. “Course rigor” is good for admissions applications, but not so much for class rank. GPA manipulation will happen whether grades are weighted or not. geek_son’s school doesn’t weight – doesn’t offer “AP classes,” although the Calculus students do prep for and take the test. This has resulted in some interesting val/sal juxtapositions over the past few years, where the sal was the one taking a full load of challenging classes and a slate of ECs, and the val coasted along taking only the three required classes.</p>
<p>This year, the administration increased the requirements for val/sal consideration, not enough in my biased opinion but at least enough to be a potential game-changer. For consideration, a student has to have taken two of three designated academic electives (Calculus, Physics, and Latin 3). Because of that, there’s been some competition between the top two students. The two are friends and both are very accomplished, but couldn’t be more different in terms of work ethic and interest in learning. One had a hard time choosing which course not to take because the schedule wouldn’t permit them all; the other had been really looking forward to taking the three-course senior year and complains bitterly (in private) about the workload.</p>
<p>The former has had a much more enjoyable senior year and will certainly be better off in the long run, but is in a worse position for scholarships as a result… and occasionally feels a little sting when the latter is praised to the skies.</p>
<p>Just a tiny bit of perspective for all those parents who sweat through whether to encourage a kid in a pursuit that could have an adverse GPA effect… What kind of person do you want your kid to be after high school, and after college? I keep telling mine that he’s not the kind of guy who’s going to peak in high school. And all the little potentially GPA-dragging choices he’s made over the past few years are things that have made him stand out… and, more importantly, things that have shaped his character, taught him about hard work and leadership, and made him the person he is today. Taking the long view helps. We have the experience to see it; our kids may not. So I think that from time to time it’s worth pointing out what will really matter in LAHS (life after high school).</p>
<p>Yes taking the high road is important as long as you know it may impact acceptances etc… Like it or not certain things like GPA,and class rank matter. It is important to be aware and plan accordingly.</p>
<p>Haven’t read the full thread, but at our school, kids take 6 classes a semester and only 4 of those 6 will count as weighted classes, no matter if you took 6 weighted classes.</p>