<p>You get $1,000 award if you are valedictorian--the mom of one told me last month.</p>
<p>Also, I have a physician friend who said that he never met a valedictorian that went on to do much with his life. It's like they kill themselves in high school, and burn out. Of course, yours doesn't sound like he 'killed himself', but he clearly was gunning for that honor, and it's likely that he won't go to any prestigious college with his academic record. Rigor is certainly not there.</p>
<p>I'd pity the guy. He messed himself up for college in his quest to triumph in high school. Quite short-sighted.</p>
<p>Heh. My school doesn't count any credit you earn through dual-enrollment for gym classes. You have to take core classes through it to get the weighted credit.</p>
<p>well if that's your school's grading system, then he is valedictorian. so unless you're going to change your school's system, (and honestly-who cares), then don't complain. If he's going to cheat the system to get val status, then he should get val status. but he'll have to suffer the consequences of taking stupid classes just to be val, which is that he'll probably get rejected from most top colleges because of his low unweighted GPA and the fact that he spent his time taking 10 gym classes instead of classes where you actually learn things.</p>
<p>To answer the original question, no it isn't fair. Just look at the various grading policies of the high schools represented on this board. Also, there was an article a few years back that described how a girl didn't get val status because she graduated in 3 years instead of 4 years (by taking extra classes each year). According to school policy, the val must be someone who attended that particular high school for 4 years. So, despite the fact that her GPA was like 0.25 higher than #2, she didn't get the title.</p>
<p>It's times like these I'm glad my school had this grading system:</p>
<p>A = 100-90 = 5 for Pre-AP/AP and 4 for Regular
B = 89-80 = 4 for Pre-AP/AP and 3 for Regular
C = 79-75 = 3 for Pre-AP/AP and 2 for Regular
D = 74-70 = 2 for Pre-AP/AP and 1 for Regular
F = 69-0 = 0 for Pre-AP/AP and 0 for Regular</p>
<p>Summer school courses (only regular courses) were part of GPA.
Correspondence courses (only regular courses) were counted for credit, but NOT GPA.
Dual credit done through the school were regular credit.</p>
<p>P.E. counting as weighted credit is laughable.</p>
<p>Colleges usually don't care about your high school weighting system. They usually have their own system. "Honors" and "Pre-AP" courses are commonly weighted as Regular classes.</p>
<p>Everyone's school is different and unfair to at least some people. Your school does seem a little more off than some, but if it doesn't knock you out of top X%, chill.</p>
<p>If I was number 2, I'd be really ****ed working my butt off to lose to some gym guy. If it hurts you that bad, then talk to the school. If it doesn't really bother you, then forget about it.</p>