<p>Here is the info from ELC
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How is the ELC ranking determined? Why is it sometimes different from the high school ranking?</p>
<p>Schools use different methods of calculating GPAs for the purpose of ranking. These methods are often different from the UC-calculated GPA. The top 4 percent of students are selected based on their UC-calculated GPA, which includes all UC-approved courses taken in the 10th and 11th grades. Honors points are given for courses listed as honors (yellow-starred) on the UC course list. The other criteria used for calculating GPAs are the same as those used in statewide freshman eligibility determinations.
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<p>and
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If two students have similar GPAs and similar course patterns, how can one be selected for ELC and the other not? </p>
<p>UC-calculated GPAs can be different depending on when the students took their college-preparatory courses. If some of the courses were taken during the ninth grade, the grades will not be used in calculation and can affect a student's GPA. Honors and AP/IB classes can also affect a student's ranking. In many cases, the differences between the top 4 percent of students and the other students submitted to UC are very slight. A single B, for example, could make the difference
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<p>I found more information:
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Courses Taken in Seventh and Eighth Grades</p>
<p>Language other than English and UC-approved math courses that are completed successfully in the seventh and eighth grades will be used in the ELC evaluation if they are on the high school transcript and show letter grades and credits. Like ninth-grade courses, the grades are not factored into the GPA.
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<p>According to the above information that is why middle school grades are used.</p>