<p>@Tperry1982 </p>
<p>What is it with these APUSH teachers? </p>
<p>My son, a rising senior, has had a similar experience–a B+ with a 5 on the AP. He loved the class and the teacher, is thinking about history as a major, and plans to ask the teacher to be one of his references. </p>
<p>@latichever - that is too funny!! Your son’s experience sounds just like my daughter’s.</p>
<p>He was her hardest teacher by far in 4 years. His class frustrated her like heck the first semester and she struggled. He pushed her and pushed her. That fall was real hard for us because my mom was in our home in hospice and passed in December 2012 (her Junior year). My D was her only cherished grandchild and it was very hard on her. But she persevered that semester despite it all and hit the ground running spring semester.</p>
<p>As I said he was a Yalie and I am positive he wrote her a stellar recommendation which probably had some references to her ability to survive his class despite what was going on in her life at the time. The Yale recruiters and adcoms know him by reputation so they know if you get a B+ in is class you are doing good. The 5 is evidence of that.</p>
<p>A lot of times when parents ask what makes the difference between one kids app and another, I think they overlook the power of references. I read references all the time for a scholarship program I do and if the teacher just gushes over the student, my eyes start to glaze over. I want a reference that gets to the meat of a student, their character or something about them that makes them real. That is what sets off a good application from a great one. I think a lot of students and parents underestimate that power. </p>
<p>
Each year the NACAC does a survey asking a larger number of college admissions representatives what portions of the application are most important for admissions decisions. In the 2011 survey (the most recent free one I could find), the 2 factors ranked highest importance were grades in college prep classes and course rigor. Class rank was listed as only the 9th most important factor. Grades, course rigor, test scores, essays, LORs, and demonstrated interest were all more likely to be marked as important factors in the survey results than class rank. The historical results show class rank has been dropping in importance over time. More than twice as many colleges marked it as “considerably important” in surveys done during the 90s. If the trend has continued, then it may be ranked lower than 9th in more recent surveys than 2011. In the 2011 survey, class rank had a relatively low importance ranking for colleges with all degrees of selectivity except less selective ones that accept >50% of applicants. Nearly twice as many of these less selective colleges marked class rank as important that the others that accept fewer than 50% of applicants.</p>
<p>Considering the wide variety of ranking systems used in different HSs for class rank, I would expect a more thoughtful interpretation of grades at selective holistic colleges than placing a huge importance on whatever arbitrary system the HS chooses to use.</p>
<p>As someone already stated, kids who are used to getting A’s doing little work, then start taking honors/AP courses, sometimes have to adjust to the workload and higher expectations. Example: several years ago at our high school during senior awards night, they had all the kids who made high honors (all A’s) stand up. Then they had the top ten of the graduating class stand up. There was maybe ONE kid who was in both groups!!! Top ten kids were taking honors and AP courses, and not always getting A’s. But you could take lower level courses, work a little bit, and get straight A’s. This is where the weighted GPA’s comes in to play. </p>
<p>I think class rank would correlate highly with rigor of schedule and grades in college prep courses–particularly when AP courses have a higher weight in calculating GPA and class standing. </p>
<p>But there are situations that are at odds with this. For example, beyond AP my son has been studying Organic Chemistry with his PhD chem teacher. This course is weighted less than an AP, but on the rigor scale it’s beyond AP. </p>
<p>@Tperry1982 </p>
<p>We are Yale townies, so we have a love-hat relationship with the 800 pound gorilla. </p>
<p>Pluses: the cultural and arts stuff, the educational opportunities such as the tech internship my son is doing this summer, the annual acceptance of the top 3 or 4 students in the public high school, and the downturn vibrancy for an otherwise poor city. </p>
<p>Minuses: living in a company town–where most people now work for Yale or Yale hospital unlike New Haven’s industrial past, politician power without paying taxes–only a lady bountiful voluntary contribution, condescension–a student working in one of kids programs asked me if I owned a dictionary, and students who assume you’ll have time to stop your car if they sashay into the crosswalk when you’re right on top of it. </p>
<p>Problem in high school is elite colleges expect 4.0’s so no slip-ups so hard grading kills students. Correct me if I’m wrong, but grad schools and employers don’t demand such in realistically high grades because college is graded more harshly, so teachers who try to grade like college professors really hurt their kids; my ap English teacher gives about 1A a year to two classes combined. She said at the start of the year exemplary/standard A work is about an 85, The worst part is college won’t know it was deflated because the other teacher gives A’s to over 3/4 of the class. </p>
<p>Colleges get to know a lot about various high schools thru the years. My kids’ school has a 4.0 graduate about once a decade, but about half the class goes to top 30 school. There’s always those tough teachers the above poster references, but over the course of 4 years those kinds of things tend to even out.</p>