but i’m just thinking.
you start taking more and more AP classes…so shouldnt it be reasonable that your GPA goes lower?
also, let’s say someone takes UNweighted grade classes, like orchestra. And summer school. Then your CLASS RANK goes lower, since everyone else who are in the “SChool race” will take the MOST WEighted grades possible.<br>
I have gotten just as Many B’s as the students ranked 2nd or 3rd. Yet, i’m ranked 6th because of this. (plus, i’m NOT quitting orchestra).
So, as the high school progresses, more and more orchestra equals lower and lower class rank. Then, AP classes will lower my GPA.
so, my trend is downward.
gpa goes down.
so does my rank.
<p>recalling you other posts, your gpa is pretty consistent, you cannot call an infintessimally lowered gpa a trend. Thank god dd's school doesn't rank so they don't have to be preoccupied with this hair-splitting. Take what you like. In Sr year her gpa dropped a bit because of the load of all AP's but she still got into great schools.</p>
<p>My friend has a near 4.6 gpa with 5 classes and 4 of those classes being APs. I have 8 classes and 3 of those being APs. My gpa is around 4.3 You see, the larger the number of classes is, the larger the numerator when finding the mean will be; thus, creating a lower gpa. Theoretically, someone could take 2 APs and with A's have a 5.0 gpa. It is for this why I believe that GPA rankings in a school do not work justly.</p>
<p>Just my two cents, our school does not weight grades which means that anyone taking easy classes can have a higher class rank than a student that takes all AP's or honor's classes (due to let's say a B in serveral of those classes). Everyone says that the colleges will see that you are taking harder classes which will put you in a better spotlight as far as admissions. NOTE: Colleges convert your GPA into the 4.0 & under scale which means that they unweight your grades.</p>
<p>That being said, what frustrates me is that merit scholarships are often given on GPA/SAT/ACT scores. So if my kid takes several AP classes and gets a couple of B's it could put him lower than a 3.8. Our state college gives free tuition/fees if you have a 3.8/1300 SAT/ 30 ACT. For a 3.7 with a 1600 SAT the kid would then only be eligible for $2500 which is a huge difference. I am not advocating that students only take easy classes for the scholarship, but it really makes you wonder if it's worth it in the long rung.</p>
<p>chanman,
the rigor of your program is what is going to keep you in the running - taking fluff courses would hurt you worse than class rank - which is still excellent. Try to get a copy of your transcript - I doubt that they will show your historical rank - just your current one.</p>
<p>I also thought my GPA would get lower with more AP classes. But I found that with a tiny bit more effort, I was making the same grades and getting the bonus for being in an AP class.</p>
<p>Just try not to let the idea of AP classes shake you. However do realize that they are a bit more challenging, but nothing you can't handle. There's no reason for you to worry.</p>
<p>I recommend applying to a school where they actually read your transcript and not just look at your GPA. Admissions folks tend to be smart and have been doing this admissions thing for a long time. Further, if orchestra knocks a few points off a class rank, use that as a plus, "I was so dedicated to music that I was willing to sacrifice my class standing in order to participate. It is this same dedication, a true sense of commitment, that draws me to ____________ ." (of course a variation based on something specific about the college doesn't hurt.)</p>
<p>ohiomom: my transcript shows EVERYTHING haha, including historical rank/gpa/class size...everything
..but i want them to see my RAnk in freshman. I was 5th, even with 4.0UW..so that's good.</p>
<p>idad:
I recommend applying to a school where they actually read your transcript and not just look at your GPA. Admissions folks tend to be smart and have been doing this admissions thing for a long time.</p>
<p>^ i hope they actually do go through my Transcript and see my history intsead of just looking at Rank/Uwgpa at the end</p>
<p>My S. was accepted at two very selective highly regarded schools with a class rank of 182/405. It is our experience that the whole application is considered.</p>
<p>"i dont understand why taking AP classes = lower GPA"</p>
<p>my WEghted GPA goes UP..as i take more weighted AP classes
My Unweighted GPA goes DOWN, as I get more bs in ap classes
My Rank goes DOWN as I take unweighted orchestra (no smart people do)</p>
<p>As I mentioned before, many schools do not use weighted GPA's. An A in an AP class often counts the same as an A in a regular class. Having said that, most colleges do look at how challenging was the curriculum one completed. Those students who come from schools without many AP class opportunities are often judged by how many challenging courses they took of those that were offered, not on the absolute number of AP or Honors courses.</p>
<p>Grade-weighting can really throw a wrench into things. Altho I agree that a schedule filled with 'fluff' shouldn't count as much as a challenging one, class rank often comes down to the ratio of weighted to unweighted, and students end up being separated by only tiny fractions of a GPA point. That tiny fraction, otherwise insignificant, could affect your class rank, and therefore chances for merit scholarships; and there's the rub.</p>