<p>my high school has a strange policy where I get a grade for participating in school plays, drama workshops, dance class, and dance performances. I get about 6 of these classes on my report card every year, and all of these 4.0 A's go on my academic GPA. because I take all honors and AP classes and get 5.0s for A's in those classes, this policy majorly affects my GPA and consequently my class rank. The kids that are ranked top 10 are either athletes (sports don't go on your academic GPA) or are lame and do no ECs. My class rank would go up 6-7 places out of a class of 230 (i am currently ranked 14) if these performance classes were taken for Credit/ no credit or were not on my academic gpa. So, i'm working on my guidance counselor to get the policy changed, and I want some ammunition for my argument. Do other high schools give academic grades for performance classes, or are they not even considered classes? also, if the policy remains the same, will college admissions officers will see through this policy?</p>
<p>Many applicaitons including the area where you submit GPA request that the counselor indicates if the ranks are academic or not. Furthermore, you can ask your counselor to point this out if you feel it's really necessary.</p>
<p>The difference between being ranked 14 and 7 is inconsequential.</p>
<p>that doesn't seem right, 7/230 looks so much prettier than 14/230...</p>
<p>My counselor did say that she would address the issue in her rec letter, but she's not the brightest person in the world, so I doubt that her letter will be that effective</p>
<p>It looks better, but I think what the poster is saying is that it's unlikely to make all the difference.</p>
<p>As for your other question, our ranks are solely academic, UNLESS you take an elective during a class period. But things like performances would not go on our GPA.</p>
<p>My school's GPA system is pretty idiosyncratic. It uses both academic and elective classes. It can't be called a 5.0 scale, because pretty much everyone in the top 5% has a higher GPA; it can't be called a 6.0 scale because no one can get a 6.0 and still meet graduation requirements. AP and Pre-AP courses are on a 6.0 scale (110); all other courses are on a 5.0 scale (100), but you're only eligible for the extra 1.0 for AP's if you get an A or B in that class. Also, it's on a block schedule, so classes meet every other day, except for most athletics, the dance team, and the marching band. So athletes, dancers, and band members are rewarded for their EC involvement because that's one less elective weighing down their GPA.</p>
<p>I like that- I think that people should be rewarded for doing extra stuff (instead of punished, like at my school).After all, it makes it harder to get good grades when you are busy with other activities. In fact, the vals for the past four years have all gotten rejected from thier top choices and gone to Berkeley (good I know, but they all wanted ivies) because they had no ECs. It seems strange that the only way to be ranked at the top is to not be involved in anything.</p>
<p>Wow, I've never heard of a school doing that before...That's pretty weird.</p>
<p>For us, its just unweighted GPA (no extra points for honors/AP/college). I really wish we went by weighted GPA. We use the grade school below to calculate it...
A = 4.0
A- = 3.7
B+= 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7
C+= 2.4
Not sure about the rest...</p>
<p>Colleges recalculate the GPA, and most will only care if you're in the top 15% or so or not...and you are fairly solidly placed there, so I wouldn't worry about it.</p>
<p>At my school, an A in a standard class (which are only the first two years of a language, the first two years of an arts elective, CA, and health) is a 4.0. A B is a 3.0 and so forth.</p>
<p>An A in an honors class is worth a 5.0. A B is worth a 4, and so on.</p>
<p>An A in an AP class is worth a 6.0. A B is a 5.0, a C is a 4.0, etc.</p>
<p>So getting a C in an AP class is like getting an A in a standard class. Well, that's the weighted way, anyway. Otherwise an A is a 4, a B is a 3, and so on. The only place our GPAs show up is on our transcripts though.</p>
<p>A - 94+
B+ - 90-93
B - 84-90
....</p>
<p>Honor: No weighting
AP: 0.5 weighted.</p>
<p>A 90+
B 80+
C 70+
D 65+
Anything below that we don't really talk about...</p>
<p>Weighs honors and APs.</p>
<p>i'm really interested to know how all of your schools deal with performing arts "classes" (these can include productions) on the academic gpa, meaning how they rank people.</p>