<p>I've been reading these boards for a while now but I just recently started posting. I'm a freshman in college now. It seems that a lot of people who want to be "chanced" they say they are from highly competitive high schools. What exactly is this supposed to mean and how does one decide that his/her high school is "highly" competitive compared to other high schools. It just seems that everyone describes their high school as being highly competitive when in fact this cannot be the case because not everyone's high school is highly competitive. So what do you consider highly competitive?</p>
<p>i think it means either a private place like phillips exeter or harvard westlake OR one of those highschools in really high income areas on the east coast where EVERYONE goes to a good college. it's way more competetive at schools like those because there arent so many burn outs and lazy people, most everyone wants to do well. i think thats what they mean anyway (i dont go to a highly competetive high school haha)</p>
<p>I go off of the US NEWS ranking. My school is ranked within the top 5 in the state and top 30 in the US. So, that seems highly competitive to me.</p>
<p>If more than 90% of students go to college after high school I'd say the HS is pretty competitive.</p>
<p>But also US News & World Report is a good indicator...</p>
<p>also, Newsweek reports on top high schools every year, heavily based on # taking AP tests. another aspect of a "competitive" high school has to do with LACK of grade inflation. many schools all over the country give rather easy As and Bs, hence grade inflation. this is one important reason why colleges still need SAT/ACT tests, and in the face of wide discrepancy, they may suspect grade inflation. strong(hard) high schools are more likely to show strong correlation between GPA and SATs/ACTs.</p>
<p>My school sends 100% of its grads to college............</p>
<p>I'm doomed. LOL.</p>
<p>My school probably only sends 25%. My school is pretty terrible tbh.</p>