<p>I was wondering how colleges take into account the competitiveness of high schools, their rankings, and the grade inflations. I was debating with my dad that if I went to a much easier and less competitive high school than right now, I would easily be able to get straight As and be at the top of my class. My dad on the other hand insisted that colleges do look at the high school you go to and that going to a more competitive and higher ranked high school is better than going to a really bad one. Who is right and how do colleges deal with grade inflation?</p>
<p>You both are, technically: you could be at the top of your class at a less competitive school, and colleges do take into account the competitiveness of schools, using their own calculations and weighting system. Really, the question is whether you want to challenge yourself and be better prepared for college, or take the easy way out and be less prepared. “Gaming the system” here will only be to your detriment.</p>
<p>Some colleges do take into consideration grade inflation. Other don’t.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m going to have issues with that— my school is INSANELY academic and competitive. I know I could get into a good college from my old school, where I got straight As and a great GPA, but now that the environment is more challenging and I have more competition, it’s tough…</p>
<p>You’re evaluated in the context of your respective high school. So it doesn’t really matter what school you go to.</p>
<p>In regard to grade inflation, it would probably work against you if your school inflated grades as well as ranked. Because of the grade inflation at my HS, we weren’t ranked; someone with a 3.9 GPA would be pretty far down the list if that was the case.</p>