<p>Wondering what other schools policies are about top 2 in the class. We have known for a while now that D was close to the top 2 - we find out today that even though her GPA is 2nd in her class that she will actually end up #3 because students #1 and #2 have one more honors class than her (not a higher GPA mind you, just one more honors class on their schedule) - and to top it off the additional honors class is honors band! D did not take band (she has taken private piano lessons for 10 years and excels individually at this). We are also upset not for just the # placement alone, but being #2 at least meant a good amount of scholarship $ at a couple of her choices. </p>
<p>So cumulatively, over the 3 1/2 years she will have the 2nd highest GPA but will be #3 in the class. And to top it off, students #1 and #2 are both in her AP Calculus class and are likely to get a "B" this third quarter, while D should have an A (thereby raising her GPA even more). But her school goes with the 7 semester grades so she loses out.</p>
<p>Am I (she) wrong to feel cheated? I don't feel like we can go whining to colleges about her circumstance but every $$ counts! Any words of encouragement/advice? Life just sucks sometimes...</p>
<p>I don't think you should be whining about this. Being third in one's class is very respectable. Your daughter has done very well, has great grades and a great class rank. She is not being "cheated". This is the way it is. And it's not a crisis.</p>
<p>Again Thumper I'm not whining - I am beyond proud of her grades but most of all for the person she has grown up to be. But none the less, the rank did make a difference as far as what college may work out for her financially. In fact, one of her choices would have given her a very good chance at a full ride with a #1 or #2 ranking. I've told her not to stress about this and she's not - but I think she is disappointed - she feels she earned the spot but will be a victim of a couple of funky rules.</p>
<p>I have not seen the rules in writing, but apparently today when she asked about her rank (the school posts a cumulative list in a display case and she was #2 and everyone was "congratulating" her for Sal status) the counselors said it was a district wide policy how to figure out the status and best GPA doesn't always prevail. Maybe we were naive, she is our first to graduate, but I thought GPA = class rank.</p>
<p>You are definitely wrong to feel cheated. She can feel that way if she wants to, but in my opinion you shouldn't encourage it and should focus on the positive and on how well she's done. If that's the school's policy, then there you have it. The school hasn't done anything wrong. There's nothing much to complain about unless it's some kind of new rule that isn't in writing or isn't available to students. </p>
<p>Having said that, your daughter should approach her college advisor (and then perhaps the principal), explain the situation about the scholarship money and her actual GPA rank, and see if she can be noted as #2 in GPA on the applications. Since the colleges don't likely care much about the methods in determining #1 and #2, I don't think there would be too much of a problem with the GC noting that she has the second highest GPA in the graduating class, which is true.</p>
<p>My D's the val of her class of 572 kids. She's very aware of how little separates her from the other top 20-25 kids. I think that the top 10 all have 4.0 uw GPAs, so it comes down to the number of APs and honors credits. In all honesty, it really goes back to 6th grade, when we made the decision to let D start in a group of 6 kids who took Algebra I. She was advanced in math from then on, and I suspect that one or two extra AP classes are what has tipped the scales for her. I know your daughter has got to be frustrated, being SO CLOSE, but thumper is correct... Your daughter is near the top of her class, and hopefully she'll be rewarded via outside scholarships, etc. You must be very proud of her.</p>
<p>what college does that - scholarships for # 1 or 2...interesting to see that</p>
<p>and the last suggestion is a good one, list the top GPAs, and D is second</p>
<p>I think the whole ranking thing is such a mess,varies wildly from school to school that any college that basis so much money on .01 is just stupid</p>
<p>My last post was cross-posted, so I have two things to add now. First, so do these scholarships specify that they are for #1 and #2 students or something like that? Or are you just worried about her chances of getting the scholarships if she's #3? If it's the latter, then I do not believe you should make any further effort to get her noted as #2 when by the school's official policy she is not. In the case where she would certainly get the scholarship or be eligible for it if she were designated as #2, then I think you could talk to the GC and see whether an extra note could be made.</p>
<p>I also must stand up for the rule to an extent. Though in this case "honors band" may be a joke (I don't know), it's there to protect the students who challenge themselves. Should a student taking the easiest classes available be #1 over a student in all APs who has a slightly lower GPA? Many parents on this board complain about their schools' policies because they only look at GPA. The rule is there for a reason. It didn't work out in your daughter's favor this time, but she has not been slighted, and the rule was established for a reason.</p>
<p>Transcripts are what colleges ask for and her transcript will say class rank #3. </p>
<p>I would AGAIN like to state that my disappointment is NOT in my daughter in any way, but the info is fresh today and I think it's perfectly normal to feel kind of annoyed about it - in fact if you ask my kids, my motto is "the glass if half full" - to be quite honest I thought I could post my feelings on her and not get berated. I know many of you have lots of experience on this board with the whole college scene and many of you have obviously been members here for a very long time - how bout a little courtesy for newbies? </p>
<p>I also was interested to hear how other schools determine Val/Sal spots. If you'd like to share, I"d be curious to hear.</p>
<p>The #1 , #2 full-tuition was for a small private college in Michigan. The 2nd college offers $2500 extra for 1 or 2. These days even that much makes a difference!</p>
<p>Thank you for the suggestions on at least checking with the schools re: accepting the #2 GPA - we believe it is too late for the Michigan school (they gave them out recently). It is suggestions like these coming from you which led me to post in the first place... I appreciate others helping me to think things through...</p>
<p>At my high school, val/sal were based on class rank and ECs. The kid who was ranked #3 was sal because he was officer of more things than #2. The school didn't weight grades and didn't offer APs (though I did two via independent study). This was in the Pleistocene Era, DS2 tells me.</p>
<p>Your plight is very real. Many school's have scholarships for the val and sal and most kids who get into HYPS from average schools are numbers 1 or 2. Parents have sued school districts over rankings, a classmate researched this and found rank at an average high school means real $$ to a middle class family.</p>
<p>abasket, you have my sympathies. Cooranged, parents love their children and often invest so much in them that it's natural to feel upset on their behalf. Though I agree with you that it's wise to not vocalize it too much or it may make matters worse.</p>
<p>abasket, are the honors and AP classes weighted at your school? If so, then the GPA will reflect both difficulty and performance and should be what counts for val/sal. If there is no weighting, then their policy makes more sense.</p>
<p>The flip side is when a school fails to recognize difficulty of schedule at all. We've had a number of "valedictorians" at our local HS who took zero honors classes and zero AP classes. With unweighted grades, they outranked superior students who picked up a "B" in an AP or honors class.</p>
<p>Bottom line - there's no perfect system. Third in class is a great rank - be proud of your daughter, and be assured that the difference between #2 and #3 is unlikely to have any effect on admissions.</p>
<p>I did not berate you, nor did I state or imply that you were disappointed in your daughter. I answered your questions and offered advice. In fact, I don't believe any of us have been at all discourteous in this thread.</p>
<p>My school does not provide class rank, though they will guess a percentage for certain students if necessary. It's a small and demanding school, so I think my school was trying to avoid the inevitable fact that a student in the top 30% at my school is likely to be far above what the top 30% student would be at the nearest large public. My school also tries to discourage competition between students and avoid the cut-throat atmosphere so prevalent at similar schools.</p>
<p>Wow thats unfair but that one more honors class weighs more in the GPA. I was 2nd in my class and they keep two sal. because we have traditional high school and magnet high school.</p>
<p>Of course we will not dwell on this at home - tomorrow is another day and we move on! But for today it felt a little crummy...! </p>
<p>OUr honors and AP are weighted equally but higher than "regular" classes. The way D explained it to was a little confusing - I'll have to do a little more asking around to see how things really work - but don't plan on causing any chaos over it!</p>