Frankly, this “recognition” does not go further than HS. All colleges recognize are the numbers, the GPA, the standardized test score, the rank (even when HS does not rank). There are certain selective programs where specific ECs are also a must. That is the reason, why many top HSs just drop all those val’s sal’s labels and stopped ranking students. Why do something that has no meaning for colleges as they calculate ranking themselves. For that matter, adcoms even strip down the weighted GPA and re-calculate it themselves.
At D’s school (and it was many years ago), there were no val’s, no sal’s, no ranking and no weighted GPAs. You want to pursue very selective programs at colleges, it is up to you to take the most rigorous classes, colleges will recognize it with or without weighted GPA and in fact many will recognize the names of certain HSs that are known for having more rigorous academics than many others. C’mon, say your kid happen to be the only one with the GPA=4.0 uw and still with the most possible rigorous classes. This fact alone is a pretty darn good evidence for the college that this applicant graduated at the top of her HS class. And if she has all other things that some programs require and not require, but she somehow found the time to pursue many of her personal interests, there is no obstacle for this applicant, she will be successful at pretty much anything that her heart desires! And being an athlete and the good one at that on top of being at the top academically does not hurt at all! Actually sport is a great thing for personal growth, so much they learn outside of the class, how to win and how to lose, how to be accepting and how to achieve. These character traits make them great team players later on, it is recognized as one of the most important character traits of the Science Researcher, MD, lawyer, a business person,…etc…