<p>Im just a bit confused on my school ranking system lol. Im only a freshmen at my high school right now, so my Qs might be a little dumb. I know the ranking system is purely based on gpa and that more honor/AP classes will get you a higher GPA. However, what about those free A+ giveaway honor classes in my school like honors chorus or honors orchestra? Certainly it is much harder to get an A in Honors Biology/math than orchestra. But if my class rank is purely based on GPA.. wouldn't someone thats does ok in her core academic subjects but takes honors choir, orchestra, wind ensemble, and band have a higher GPA (or at least a much easier chance to score a higher GPA) than the students who get As and Bs in their core academic subjects (who in reality are much smarter)? Im just confused because Im in this same exact situation.. I have a 3.9 GPA (almost 4.0) (I take all honor classes.. no AP classes in freshmen year for us), but my friend takes those "honor" classes (and has all regular in his core academics) and has a 4.1 GPA. That would mean he has a higher class rank than me? Do colleges (I really want to go to Emory BTW if that helps?) look at my friend as a better stud. than me (even tho he isn't even close in reality)? Please let me know because if that is the case, I can sign up for those "honor" classes for the next semester, as there are no requirements to get into these honor classes. Thank you so much! </p>
<p>Class rank is just one measurement. The better colleges will examine your complete transcript and evaluate the overall rigor of your courses.</p>
<p>That said, directional schools and community colleges probably will not distinguish. Here in Utah, except for the flagship, we hand out scholarships based on GPA and ACT scores. It doesn’t matter if your courses were lame.</p>
<p>Yup, it’s inflated. My school is the opposite–we’re penalized for taking band because it’s not honors, so any well-rounded student has a lower GPA than one who plays the system. However, you can get an edge up with your course rigor and SATs!</p>
<p>At my son’s school, class rank is determined by using weighted gpa from core classes only. Weighted gpa reported on transcripts is based on all classes. You should check with guidance to see how YOUR school does it.</p>
<p>^ Best answer. Check with your guidance counselor to see what your HS uses.</p>