High School Guide: Admissions, reviews, and advice

Michael Lee75 said:And just how many professors would we need to sit down with to bump up a grade? Just one, or a whole committee, when you say they "talked with the teachers"?

Anyway, my son is wrapping up his freshman year of high school, and he's sitting at a 3.6 GPA😁 He doesn't seem thrilled about it, but he tells me he'd never dream of begging anyone for a better grade because the whole idea just feels too humiliating for him.

I mean, what's the actual point of obsessing over your high school GPA? I’ve come to realize that everything really just boils down to the SATs—or maybe the ACTs, depending on who you ask, I guess. It all centers on those standardized tests anyway.

I mean, everyone just wants to scrape by with a C and chase after those grades anyway.

stormymarlin22 said:I mean, everyone just wants to scrape by with a C and chase after those grades anyway.

Good grief, I really thought we’d be done dealing with this after a year.🤣🤣🤣

rowdypanther12 said:Good grief, I really thought we’d be done dealing with this after a year.🤣🤣🤣

🤣 🤣

Once again, university admissions are basing everything on GPA, down to the decimal point... I'm still not sure if they use one or two 😛

mellowskipper said:I mean, what's the actual point of obsessing over your high school GPA? I’ve come to realize that everything really just boils down to the SATs—or maybe the ACTs, depending on who you ask, I guess. It all centers on those standardized tests anyway.

Look, I don't have all the answers, and nobody really knows what’s going to happen once college admissions season rolls around—how much they weigh specific grades or even what he’ll end up choosing to major in. But hey, this success is still a win, and if there’s actual substance behind the numbers, then it’s a massive plus. As for his GPA, he’s the one who lived it; nobody stepped in and snatched his grades away from him.

College admissions look at your GPA down to two decimal places, but honestly, it doesn't weigh nearly as much as your SAT scores. I guess whether you have a 3.6 or a 3.7 isn't a huge deal, though everyone still stresses about getting that perfect 4.0

Salammbo, that is an impressive average for a freshman in high school. If only mine could manage something similar next year 😉
...

stormymarlin22 said:College admissions look at your GPA down to two decimal places, but honestly, it doesn't weigh nearly as much as your SAT scores. I guess whether you have a 3.6 or a 3.7 isn't a huge deal, though everyone still stresses about getting that perfect 4.0

At the end of the day, I keep telling him that actually learning the material matters more, whether it's for the SAT or just for life down the road, though he's caught in that classic tug-of-war where he feels bad about slacking but is also just completely burnt out on school and all this constant pressure.

Kate Jackson4 said:Salammbo, that is an impressive average for a freshman in high school. If only mine could manage something similar next year 😉
...

Yeah, well, someone had to have those kinds of grades, and it certainly wasn't me—that was always just a pipe dream for my own high school years.🤣

stormymarlin22 said:I mean, everyone just wants to scrape by with a C and chase after those grades anyway.

I told my daughter she doesn't need to aim for an A. Honestly, a B is perfectly fine. As long as she stays focused on math, English, and maybe some Spanish—whatever her max effort allows—it's enough. Even with a B average, she can still head off to prep courses for Data Science.
That’s the plan, anyway.

I mean, look, if you’re in San Francisco and you snag a top three spot in the county competition while keeping your GPA at least a 4.5, you're looking at a scholarship. So it’s definitely not nothing... depends on who you ask, I guess.
And college admissions care about those grades too—it’s not quite the same level of pressure as high school, but if you can push yourself to pull up your average, why wouldn't you?

Let's get them enrolled in high school first😁

Jeffrey Edwards5 said:Better late than never, I guess. Checking in three days before everything wraps up, once the verdict is basically already in.

The situation is this: my kid is sitting at less than half the required points. They aren't even going to hit the threshold for the school we actually want them in.

I’ve talked to the homeroom teacher and the subject teachers. Honestly? They’re about as flexible as a brick wall.

So, help me out here. To all you educators out there—from someone like me, just a regular guy trying to make sense of things—what is it about being a professor that makes some people think they can just ignore the big picture and refuse to HELP a student? Is it just the power trip? The ego?

I don't get it. I genuinely want to know what makes someone tick like that.

Don't they worry about anything? Not just about God, but about an angry parent waiting in the parking lot after class? It feels like they're asking for trouble.

What kind of people are these? Seriously, explain it to me.

How many subjects actually have a gap of less than half a point?🍿
I can only imagine how much you're dreaming of your little one getting into a place like Harvard Kennedy School, even while worrying about the possibility of them stumbling during the entrance exams.
There really isn't any sense in speculating about how much leeway is being given or in what manner, especially when you are personally seeking a bit of grace.
Based on what I see around me, how often do students with an average of X.45 in middle school get a chance to retake an exam to improve a grade? And could you clarify what the average is—you used the plural, so it seems like we are talking about more than just one subject.☕

edit
The reality is, there is no "extra credit" if you aren't satisfied with a grade; as a parent, you are essentially asking for the entire curriculum to be re-taught or re-tested. Someone else's parent tried something similar last year, though they didn't seem to have a valid basis for the request.
Additionally, the SAT results will be posted this Wednesday.

But can a kid even apply to somewhere like Harvard Kennedy School if they don't hit the required score threshold?

Man, oh man, you guys see what we're up against now, cold-hearted bastards.
Seriously, giving stuff away for free? Total garbage—unless it's for my own kid, then sure, whatever. But for anyone else? Absolutely not.

Anyway, for all you people trying to scrape together enough points to hit the cutoff for applying to college... just wait until those rankings drop and everyone else's scores show up. You're in for a massive reality check.

Let’s not play judge and jury here. When it involves your own child, it’s bound to be a massive disappointment if they can't even apply to the school they actually want.

I’m not advocating for any kind of outrage, but this whole process is just an overwhelming amount of stress. You're left wondering which college your kid can realistically aim for that actually aligns with their talents and interests...

They’ve been staring at grades dating back to fourth grade, but everyone is sweating bullets over that final week of eighth grade🙄.

Just because they might bump up the minimum requirement for applications doesn't mean a kid actually has enough points to get in—personally, I don't think they do.
At least up until now, the last kid to actually get accepted into those oversubscribed schools usually had a few extra points to spare above the cutoff.

Jeffrey Edwards5 said:I didn't say that, even though apparently it matters—we weren't asking for handouts. We were just asking for the chance to take a test to boost a GPA.
We strictly wanted an opportunity to improve the score, and we made it clear we weren't looking for freebies.

On the flip side, what about the kids getting unearned grades who end up unfairly taking my child's spot? You didn't mention them or why they're doing it.

A makeup exam? No one can really deny them that right. If they pass it, great.

Kate Jackson4 said:It’s all quite stressful for me, especially since my kid could have pushed harder to secure better grades. A mix of health issues, puberty, and a touch of laziness finally caught up with him...

Some grades are earned. For others, a different teacher might have sparked more interest or motivation, but I wouldn't go so far as to call the grading unfair...

Looking at the big picture, I believe things eventually fall into place—perhaps even for a reason. Missing out on a first choice isn't the end of the world, whether it's their second, third, or sixth option...
If the child is doing alright, they will find their way in school. It might actually be for the best that they didn't get into their top pick ☕

Well done! 🥂

mellowskipper said:I told my daughter she doesn't need to aim for an A. Honestly, a B is perfectly fine. As long as she stays focused on math, English, and maybe some Spanish—whatever her max effort allows—it's enough. Even with a B average, she can still head off to prep courses for Data Science.
That’s the plan, anyway.

👍