<p>I didn't think this would become a featured discussion :)</p>
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And I really fail to see how "playing by the rules" means taking easy classes for a high GPA.
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<p>Until the Class of 2006, GPA was unweighted at my school. Like I said in the original post, that meant that all valedictorians were students who picked regular classes over honors and AP.</p>
<p>Of course we all know the benefits of AP, IB, and so forth, but to them it's just "harder." Train of thought: If I want to be #1, why should I work more than I have to? The rules say highest GPA, no weighting. Therefore, if I want a high GPA, and possibly the number one rank, all I have to do is take easy classes.</p>
<p>Apparently, at some schools, doing this would result in a low rank due to weighting.</p>
<p>Remember, Valedictorian really doesn't matter all that much, especially in High School. Class rank is obviously important (in the big scheme), but doing well in classes you take, and picking classes you enjoy is far more important than ten or twenty spots in your rank. </p>
<p>A person with a top 10% class rank but difficult courses has a much better transcript than the valedictorian that doesn't take hard ones.</p>
<p>I just can't see worrying about something so inconsequential.</p>
<p>Class rank is based on weighted grades at the HS where I teach, so just taking regular classes wouldn't get you into the top 10%. But Ap and Honors weigh the same, so we have had the situation where one of the the top 10 grads never took an AP class, but scored 99 and 100 in all her Honors classes, so she made the top 10. We have never had a tie for val or sal at our school - they carry the numbers out 6-7 places. As to not being val because of one regulars class, we have certain requirements that everyone must meet in order to graduate, so everyone will have between 2 and 4 regular classes. Some kids do off-campus PE, and avoid that.</p>
<p>How does valedictorian matter at all? The end of the year is well after college applications anyway...</p>
<p>At my school (although I think this year we renamed our valedictorians something else) you only had to have over a 4.0, and everyone with over a 4.0 was named valedictorian. Somewhere around 15 people got it 2 years ago, which is the last time I attended grad (we have a tough weighting system... only 94-100 is an A, and no weighting for honors classes, only a 0.5 boost for an AP class).</p>
<p>i am ranked 1/800. I advanced over my competition by skipping a class freshman year (got rid of 99.5 percent of competition) and taking more classes than possible my soph year (got rid of all of the competition). As indicated, this upholds the necessity of taking the most classes, being aware of one's 4 year academic planning, and honoring weighted GPA's over unweighted GPA's...All the vals have 2300 + SAT's...In my school, the valedictorian is the student with the highest GPA and the most classes taken. The position of val is highly revered, and is only achieved through hard work and dedication. </p>
<p>However, the most important factor in admissions is one's class rank in relation to the size of the school. A class rank similiar to mine (1/800) holds much more weight over a class rank of 1/250. Test this theory using the A.I. calculator. </p>
<p>Keep in mind, valedictorian positions aren't determined until after senior year, when college admissions are over.</p>
<p>Eh, I came out valedictorian at my high school by taking as many AP courses as possible. AP courses = weighted grades. I think that's a fair system, don't you? I mean, it does discourage you from taking electives, but it also looks really good on college applications. :)</p>
<p>At my school valedictorian positions are determined after the first semester of senior year, and are shown in the transcript and mid-year report, if one is applying RD.</p>
<p>Before you read note that this is my first post! :)</p>
<p>This is very true about valedictorians. At my school we have 5levels of classes, each with different numbers of points added before it is calculated into a 100-point scale GPA (5 for Honors, 6 for AP, etc.) Also your GPA goes down and you are supposedly barred from being valedict./saludit. if you are ever caught cheating on anything.</p>
<p>HOWEVER...</p>
<p>This year's valedictorian took few AP classes, mostly Intensive, and a few honors. Same with the saludit. She was also caught cheating on a test in an AP class.</p>
<p>The current head-of-class (next year's valedict.) has taken few APs than me and generally easier classes/levels. This means he gets 100s in all the classes and doesn't need the extra points. (I have all Honors, one Independent and 6 APs, which is the most you can take here.) So this is frustrating. The second in class is AP crazy, though, and she deserves the rank.</p>
<p>This year's valedictorian at my school was very, very intelligent and won many awards in science, mathematics, etc. This is how it usually is in our school. (Last year's salutatorian was a big cheater, though.) However, I'm an upcoming junior and I have no idea about my class rank/GPA. On other report cards we would receive an unweighted GPA out of 100, but this year the entire style of the reports was changed. We don't find out a GPA until the end of junior year, and the top ten students list comes out in the middle of senior year. </p>
<p>In most other classes the students pretty much know/have a good guess who it will be early in their high school careers. The person who most deserves it gets it. They take all the top classes and have many ECs. In my class, however, there is no clear lead. We all help one another with homework, if you have math 3rd and I have it 9th then you'll tell me questions on the test. The other classes are much more competitive.</p>
<p>This year I've found that people in my class really have no clue about other people's grades. Someone that I had been in class with for about 2 years came up to me and said "I didn't know you were smart until you beat me on the PSAT." And since then, people have been silently competing with me. A glance at my test average here, a quiet inquiry about my quarter grade there, etc. I guess I just lack that competitive spirit.</p>
<p>My alma mater is doing away with class rank. However, the GPAs there are ridiculous. I got a 3.76 and was a lousy 83 out of 251.</p>
<p>However, the teachers all realized this whole GPA thing is bogus. I was considered a "blue collar" guy...I worked and worked to get my A's, and I did it without the AP classes. I was told that I had the best work ethic of the whole class.</p>
<p>However, tests are where I fell apart. I did worse than President Bush on the verbal SAT (I like Bush, but I know his score wasn't that great). My practice SAT scores in both areas were in the 4 somethings (pretty bad). And in the regular classrooms, I didn't know how to mentally prepare myself for a test until the third to last day of my senior year when a FRESHMAN of all people gave me some incredible advice....</p>
<p>Despite my mediocore standing, I got into college and left my high school on a better note than almost anyone because I made my claim to fame doing computer and video work for the school.</p>
<p>I feel sorry for you people with other smart kids at your school. At my school, straight A's plus a full AP courseload (we only have 6 total)= Val. Our grading is such that an A- is the same as an A+. Not much pressure at all.</p>
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Despite my mediocore standing, I got into college and left my high school on a better note than almost anyone because I made my claim to fame doing computer and video work for the school.
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<p>Did you mean almost everyone? Or did you really mean to say almost anyone?</p>
<p>I think I ended up at 30/450 - 4.45 GPA. I got a 1440 on the SATs and 5s on all my APs (6 tests). Anyone in the top 20 was seen as a pretty intelligent individual.</p>
<p>I have a question for the posters whose schools don't weigh AP or Honors classes. What are some colleges that your vals or sals attended? Hopefully top schools would pay more attention to a student who is #20 and worked hard in all advanced classes than a student who is #1 and took the bare minimum.</p>
<p>I can't complain too much about the grading system in my school. With weighted AP and honors courses, the ranking of the class is pretty fair. Of course, people work the system to a certain extent-- taking study halls instead of electives, skipping lunch to take another weighted class, etc. </p>
<p>What's interesting is that my school has a requirement that everyone must take 2 years of fine or practical arts to graduate. It was pretty cool to see the top few students taking art or ceramics or something. We also have the option of taking electives pass/fail, so it doesn't count towards your GPA.</p>
<p>At my school, the Valedictorian is rarely the one who takes the most AP's. For us, the highest level of band counts as much as an AP, so people just take that instead. Also, the people who take the most AP's usual take either AP Chem or AP Bio. At my school, taking one of those classes drags your rank down, because you have to take a half-credit class with it. My school has no honors or AP half-credit classes, so those classes cause people to drop in rank. Kind of goofy- the kids who are taking the most challenging classes are never Valedictorian.</p>
<p>At my school this year there was a lawsuit over who got to be Valedictorian...it's gotten way out of hand, our county is even considering doing away with all ranks whatsoever. Also, Valedictorians wait up to the last minute to add their credits so no one else will know that or if someone is ranked in front of them...crazy huh?</p>
<p>at my school, i'm currently the val, but i came in a year late and since there are fewer ap/ib/honors courses available to freshmen some think i wouldnt be ranked 1, but i havent been "playing the game" as much as some, like i took choir (my only unweighted class junior year) to actually learn something, which mind all you guys was an automatic drop of my average, whereas the current number 2 dropped orchestra so he would benefit from this same rule. i think there might be some degree of playing the system, but if you actually LEARN things in school instead of playing number games (does valedictorian in hs mean that much to people? i seriously dont understand it) isnt it like a billion times more valuable? idk thats just my take</p>
<p>I just graduated at salutatorian at my school. At my school it means a good amount because scholarship comes with it. Me and the Valedictorian took every honors class the school offered. I know I did it to help get into a more selective college since I figured 2 out of 600 would look good but I was wrong didn't get into my top two so I settled for state school and didn't get any scholarship. Luckily our school is extremely laid back and all I had to do was take all of the classes because achieving high marks in honors in my school is not difficult. Personally, I think the whole ranking is system is dumb. I worried much more about my rank than taking Ap courses and what not. The rest of my school pretty much followed suit, and out of all 600 students only 2 are going to very selective schools and those two are not the val and sal. School's should put more emphasis on showing their students how to compete on a national scale rather than within their own school.</p>