Lame high school to Ivy League, ?

Applying to College
1

<p>This is my opinion. What do Ivy adcoms think?</p>

<p>Reading CC threads, I often notice thoughts like "Oh, low AP score or not taking the test means this kid didn't do his work in the class!" But although this could be meaningful in a academically successful high school, it is not at all true for low-end ones. For example, in my school's AP Spanish class (about 15-20 students), only three students took the test. One made a 3, the others failed. This is the theme for a lot of our AP classes because we simply don't learn AP-quality material. AP tests, or lack thereof, should not hurt a student's academic credibility.</p>

<p>Also, grades and rank at low-end schools are jokes. The overall care-free atmosphere lends to blanket grading (like a 90 for the whole class because 99% of the kids are happy with that), or abritary "Oh, your project is the prettiest!" grades. Ranks and grades don't really hold much stock into true academic quality.</p>

<p>In this same manner, almost all non-standardized measures become... incredible.</p>

2

<p>Personally, I believe that this situation is one where SAT scores would become the major factor. </p>

<p>An applicant would have to get great scores and be outstanding in other ways to show that they have the capability to succeed at a top school.</p>

3

<p>The schools would ask themselves: “Is this a diamond in the rough? Can we take a risk accepting her/him?”</p>

<p>How is that evaluated? Outside academic pursuits, SAT/ACT performance – and yes, even the interview can come into play.</p>

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<p>As you’ll see from my first thread, we faced a similar situation and pulled our daughter out of the public school. I can’t speak for Ivies but I do know from sitting through many info sessions that some pretty selective schools (such as Vanderbilt, probably others) look at not just absolute level of performance, but trend as well. </p>

<p>A student stuck in a lousy school that seeks outside opportunities to learn, takes tests that validate that learning, and then shows high scores or significantly increasing scores, is probably going to give themselves a good chance for serious consideration. Anyone could then reasonably extrapolate that, in the right environment, they’d thrive. And one would hope that the dedication they showed would also be a plus, not just what they achieved - what they were willing to get there. In the case of the Spanish AP, you didn’t say if you were the one who got the 3 on the Spanish AP, or if you even took it, but it would probably have looked good if you found a way to study for the AP outside of the lame HS course. </p>

<p>Other options might be to enroll in courses in a local community college (say, summer term) etc. When I was young, I had to bring up my SAT verbal sharply - I studies word power one summer and did just that, and I know it made the difference in getting in an excellent school. Not just going from below avg score to above average, but showing the dedication to doing it. </p>

<p>Your closing sentence is correct, and that’s why standardized tests will probably always be necessary.</p>

5

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<p>Quoting this for emphasis. I think adcoms realize that a lot of public schools have watered down education. My own school has about a 15% pass rate for all AP classes. The students who have excellent scores due to their own efforts stand out, and students who have poor scores because they don’t go the extra mile don’t stand out. “Diamond in the rough” admissions do happen, but if you go to an average public school, it’s very unlikely.</p>

6

<p>Thanks for the replies. I have definitely taking a handle on my own academics (for example, I doubled my AP course load from 5 to 10 with self-study), but although my test scores are likely the best my school has seen in years, I’m not valedictorian or the like and I want to make sure that won’t hurt me too badly…</p>

<p>I didn’t take the AP Spanish test, and I’m not in the class. But on the subject, how would the Ivy know that 3 was the best in the class? How do they see this kind of context? Telling them seems too akward…</p>

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<p>They get a Secondary School Report from your counselor with each application so they know the structure. If a 3 is the best score in your school, they will know that, just as they’ll know if it was one of the worst.</p>

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<p>They may be a score breakdown on your school’s profile, or get that teacher to write you a rec.</p>

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[quote]
I’m not valedictorian or the like and I want to make sure that won’t hurt me too badly…

[quote]
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<p>What is your rank? You should be at the tippy top of your class at a “lame” high school, but this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be val or sal.</p>

9

<p>I’m 6/375, is that OK?
And colleges get a report of AP scores from the school? Because for the 5 AP classes I am taking, I’ll likely be one of the only 4s or 5s. This would be nice for them to know! =]</p>

10

<p>Bizzzzzzzump.</p>