<p>So sophomore year there are three teachers for AP world History.
One Is known to be extremely difficult ( That's who I got ) - the class average is an 79. 2 people have an A.
One Is known to be pretty easy - a 93 class average,
One is known to be EXTREMELY easy - a 96 class average. The kids who tried at least a little for 99-100s. Seriously, there are 31 kids with a 98-100 in his class. </p>
<p>I was in the top 8% of my class, but after getting a freaking B with the hard teacher with everyone else acing WHAP I'm now at 15% and the gaps are huge now. </p>
<p>I worked my absolute butt off studying for my teachers seven minute essay quizzes every other day ( everyone always bombed them ) while simultaneously studying for ridiculously difficult and uncurved tests. I haven't slept before 12 ever since WHAP.</p>
<p>While I watch everyone else with their open note quizzes, super easy MAJOR GRADE projects of filimjng a video ( did I mention we didn't have ANY projects ?), their DOUBLE curved tests, group final exams, and NO homework you see me working my freaking butt off for a measly 85. </p>
<p>Seriously, even the underachievers have A's in his class and there are people I KNOW I am a better student than, but they have a freaking 100 in the class. Seriously, there are 31 people in all three of that fat mans classes with 100s because of WHAP. All because they got the easy teacher. Seriously, wasn't this supposed to be an AP class? </p>
<p>This is the only AP available for sophomores so this class was crucial for rank. My rank is basically abysmal now, along with all the other people who had the same teacher as me. My freshmen valedictorian who was in my class dropped 9 spots lol. Of course there's all of those people who think they are smarter than the valedictorian just because they have a 100 in the easiest WHAP teacher ever - seriously they act like they're like geniuses. </p>
<p>Is there any way I can protest this? Or do I just face the music and just give up? There really isn't a point in applying to top schools without being in the top 10%, and it seems highly unlikely that I'll be able to make up for such a huge gap. </p>
<p>You will not lose any top tier university’s bid for getting a B in a single class. You dropped out of the top 10% for your sophomore year, but that isn’t guaranteed for next year (which is the one that actually counts)…</p>
<p>Realize it’s the luck of the draw and you may have gotten an easier version of a different course. Get all As next year and move back into the top 10%</p>
<p>It’ll be okay… many people will move around in the rankings next year with the increased rigor and the beginning of senioritis (simply some people will just stop caring)</p>
<p>I DEFINITELY agree with 1prettykitty. There is this guy who everyone thought (well still thinks) is brilliant. He is some math prodigy and he was ranked in the top 10% during his freshman year. However he is NOT EVEN in the 30th percentile as a senior right now. He was getting some easy A’s as well while this other guy (the current valedictorian) was ranked lower than him and struggling since his freshman English teacher was a TOUGH grader who gave him is lowest grade EVER. Anyways, the valedictorian is taking multivariable calculus while the math prodigy is taking AP Stats… The valedictorian really beat the crap outta everyone because he was doing phenomenally in his junior courses; this young man had produced and maintained a wonderful work ethic from what he has learned in his past years and due to his mistakes and constant failures. The valedictorian is going to be in some prestigious medical program with a >5% acceptance rate. Math whiz…I don’t know where he is going. Another guy, in the top 10, is going to Columbia although he initially failed. So yes, junior year does change things, in a sense. Just keep working. Alright?</p>
<p>Colleges collect a lot of information to determine how challenging your school is overall, but they don’t usually have any way of knowing how difficult your individual classes were. I think the idea is that it balances out in the end; each person will have easy teachers sometimes and difficult teachers at other times.
You shouldn’t get so upset about this. You’ve probably learned more than the kids in the easier classes, and you have more of an idea of what college-level work is like (I mean, colleges have grade inflation too, but even then most of your grade comes from tests). </p>
<p>Right now, you should probably be focusing on acing that AP Exam. I think you’ll do fine next year though as usually your junior year is where everything counts. Class rank, while important, is not everything that defines you as a student and colleges understand that. Rather than focusing on being in the top 10%, you should focus on how to stand out from the top 10% through your AP scores, ACT/SAT, and extracurricular activities. I </p>
<p>79 isn’t low for a class average. Either way, I’m sure your rank will increase if you try hard the next couple of years, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much</p>
<p>Speaking of ranking changes, last year I was number two in my class at the end of the year, but at the beginning of this year, I dropped to five. That was because two of the students that transferred in (out of like, three probably) happened to have higher GPAs, and my friend who was counted as being in the class ahead of me last year because of credits is counted as being in my class. I know my friend is going to be graduating a year earlier than be anyways, but it’s difficult to get my rank up!</p>
<p>I don’t really think this is something to freak out over. Class rank is apparently becoming less important in college admissions, which is why my school district and other districts here in MN stopped reporting class ranks this year.</p>
<p>A low average doesn’t necessarily mean the class is hard. Even if most people do well, a few people who never turn in anything will bring the average down. </p>
<p>In my dual enrollment physics course, the class average is 58%. There are no curves. These are first year engineers in a mechanical physics course. I am ecstatic with my 71%.</p>
<p>@halcyonheather
A failing average means the majority of the class is failing. It’s either A. The class is hard or B. The majority of kids in the class do not care. </p>
<p>While I do thank the others for encouraging me a little, I still do think being ATLEAST in the top 10% means basically everything for top schools.</p>
<p>Rice - students in the top 5% is 86%, which probably means that the top 10% makes up about 95% of the class.
Vanderbilt - 89% in the top 10%
Ucla - 97% in the top 10%
Berkeley - 98% in the top 10%
Brown - 94% in the top 10%
Penn - 96% in the top 10%.
WashU St. Louis - 93% in the top 10%
Columbia - 92% in the top 10%.
Cornell - 88% in the top 10%.</p>
<p>Not to mention I’m fighting against URMs legacies and athletes for those limited non-top 10% spots. I literally probably have less than a 1% chance at berkeley/ucla if I’m not in the top 10%. </p>
<p>I do think my “freaking out” is moderately justified. Not being in the top 10% nowadays! at least statistically speaking leads to HORRIBLE chances at good schools. Not to mention I’m asian and have no legacies except a tiny little school I don’t want to go to, and my ecs while very very good are nothing outstanding ( I never participated in Intel / Google Science Fairs / anything outstanding ) </p>
<p>It’s never a good idea to bank on getting into a top 20 school. That usually leads to disappointment. Plan on attending a match school. That way, if you are accepted to your reach, it is a pleasant surprise. If not, no biggie.</p>
<p>I can see why it would be disappointing for students that /are/ planning to go to a reach school, but there are still plenty of amazing schools you can get into with top 15% ranking.</p>
<p>At my school there are two teachers for AP World History and one of them is super hard and the other one is super easy. At least this is what I hear sophomores say. They said "If you want to do well on the AP exam, get [teacher 1], and if you want to have a life, get [teacher 2]. This doesn’t help you but oh well.</p>