<p>My high school has ridiculous grade inflation. Many teachers who teach WEIGHTED AP classes give extra credit/heavily curve tests/give grade boosts for AP & standardized state test scores. I am assuming that college admissions officers are aware of this as a result of many applicants from my high school getting As in a class and ones, twos, and threes on their AP tests or low SAT scores. </p>
<p>I am not trying to sound pretentious/in love with myself, but regardless of grade inflation, I have tried to learn the material and come to school for knowledge instead of grades. I was wondering if the amount of grade inflation at my school will cause colleges to look at my application with skepticism/take a straight A student from a harder school over me. My SAT I&II scores and AP scores (with the exception of AP World History, where I got a three on the AP test and an A- in the class due to bad luck/a bad teacher/personal laziness) correspond to my grades in the classes I have taken.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for any input. :)</p>
<p>This is one of the reasons that class ranking and SAT/ACT are important. Different schools have different grading standards.</p>
<p>It’s also why it’s so hard to give an answer when someone says “I have a 3.7 gpa, chance me”. A 3.7 doesn’t mean the same thing at every HS.</p>
<p>Most colleges try to understand the practices of the specific high schools and take this into account.</p>
<p>Colleges CAN take your weighted GPA into account, with the help of your class rank. That lets them know that even though you may have a much higher GPA than another candidate, you are both, (for example), the second-best students at your respective high schools.</p>
<p>I’ve been wondering the same thing, since I’m in a similar predicament. My school has ridiculous grade deflation instead of inflation. As a result, I have bad grades (by CC standards) and high standardized test scores. Will admissions automatically dismiss me as a lazy student? My school doesn’t report rank.</p>
<p>Maybe you can ask your counselor if you can receive a percentile rank instead. This works just as well, and is the system used at my old school. It’s great because there’s less competition to become “the number one” student.</p>
<p>Courseload matters a lot too- if it looks like you’re challenging yourself and doing what you can given what your school offers.</p>
<p>Overall, I’d have to say that our school has grade deflation. It actually took me a long time to realize actually how much grading styles differed from school to school.</p>