High school, college, and beyond
Over the past few months we’ve participated in numerous presentations regarding standardized testing, applying to college, and succeeding in college. We provide here some of the questions and answers we’ve given and heard from others.
Why is standardized testing like the ACT and SAT still around if the emphasis is now is on “holistic” applications? Simply put, exactly because the emphasis is on holistic applications. As much as colleges consider the ‘whole candidate’, including non-academic areas, there needs to be a consistent measurement of academic success. GPA and grades, with extensive grade inflation and inconsistencies from school to school, are now less a measure of academic performance than any time before.
So standardized testing isn’t going away? No, in fact, some colleges that became test-optional a few years ago are now requiring these tests again. And the SAT isn’t going away: on the contrary, it’s going online starting in 2024.
Are you saying my child’s high GPA is due entirely to grade inflation? Absolutely not, but grade inflation is rampant and every GPA is influenced by this. Teachers are handing out more A’s than ever before. It’s reached the point of now almost being unreasonable.
A high school transcript listed a 117 math grade for a student (apparently including extra credit?). The 100 scale we use is actually a percent: someone with a 92 has answered 92% of the answers correctly. In this regard, a 117 is unattainable. Also, does this mean someone in the same class with a 95 is actually 22 points behind the best student? Wouldn’t that put them at a B or C instead of an A?
Some high schools that say they grade at a 4.0 scale still graduate hundreds of students with GPAs over 4.0, due to awarding “extra” GPA points for honors, AP, and IB classes. In actuality, those schools are NOT at a 4.0 scale. If one student graduates with a 4.7 (we’ve seen it) and another graduates with a 4.0, the second student is well behind the first one, but we’re still calling them “perfect”: a 4.0 out of a 4.0 scale
A student showed me a transcript and report cards for three years of high school grades (freshman - junior). There were no B grades. Every single grade was an A, for every quarter for each class (and all final grades). There were AP classes on the transcript as well. Yet their class rank was not in the top 20 (out of 450+ students). Think about that.
What does holistic really mean? It means they’re looking at a lot more than just grades and test scores, and putting a lot of weight on these other things. Students now need to list solid activities on their applications and write compelling essays. In the older (?) days, grades/test scores would outweigh these other factors. Now they don’t. This allows for more subjectivity on the part of the college when accepting students. There isn’t a way to categorically rank essays and extracurricular activities objectively (unlike grades and test scores). Beauty is in the eye of the admissions officers.
Do you see any particular academic trends with students who are in college? No academic trends (aside from some continued grade inflation), but we are seeing a “holistic” view on behalf of some companies who are hiring students straight out of college. Less focus on their grades/GPA and more focus on what they did over their summers (sort of like extracurricular activities on the Common App). Many companies now are looking for two good internships in their candidates, ideally during the summers after sophomore and junior years or during the school year. These real-world experiences in some ways outweigh grades, GPA, and college reputation. However, it’s putting more pressure on students to find meaningful internships.