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Grade inflation in high schools

Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:30 pm
Posted by anc
Member since Nov 2012
20789 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:30 pm
Grade inflation in high schools is a real problem. I just saw a thread on a scholarship post where a parent posted their kid's GPA. 3.76. Several AP classes. Pretty solid along with a 30 ACT.

Except they were in the third quartile in their class. 359th out of 569 in the senior class. Essentially in the bottom 37%. The parent said that 240 students had a 4.0 GPA. It's hard for me to believe that an average high school has that many 4.0 students.

My youngest is a high school senior. Works hard - things don't come as easy as they did for my oldest, but she has a 3.99 GPA. She made a high B one semester in an AP class. She just got her class rank back - 90th out of 390. She feels dumb. She has a 28 ACT, and she has classmates with 16-18 ACTs peacocking around because they are in the top 30 taking easy schedules.
Posted by BigGreenTiger
Member since Mar 2022
830 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:33 pm to
quote:

she has a 3.99 GPA. She made a high B one semester in an AP class. She just got her class rank back - 90th out of 390. She feels dumb. She has a 28 ACT, and she has classmates with 16-18 ACTs peacocking around because they are in the top 30 taking easy schedules.


When she applies to college it will pay off. Class rank means nothing except for in law school and med school.
Posted by tigeraddict
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2007
15283 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:35 pm to
That is the reason they give an ACT/SAT test requirement. There is a difference in high school

Posted by Tigersfan
Member since Feb 2006
2700 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:35 pm to
I find it a It’s a bigger problem when comparing grades from certain schools against others. My son has to bust his arse to get a 3.5 at Jesuit. It makes you wonder if it’s worth it. I could send into an abundance of other New Orleans schools that are pretty well respected and he could have a 4.0 with little to no work.
Posted by theliontamer
Chicago
Member since Nov 2015
2586 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:37 pm to
High school class rank is meaningless. Especially in most public schools. This is why standardized tests were so important. It was ridiculous to ever get rid of them.
Posted by anc
Member since Nov 2012
20789 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:37 pm to
quote:

When she applies to college it will pay off. Class rank means nothing except for in law school and med school.



Definitely. She knows it. Just disappointed.

In Texas, you cant get into UT/A&M unless you are top 10% of class. There are literally kids that transfer to terrible high schools their senior year so they can graduate in the top 10%. Doesn't matter what your test scores are or if you can even read. Top 10%= guaranteed admission.

LINK



This post was edited on 10/8/26 at 1:39 pm
Posted by CocomoLSU
Inside your dome.
Member since Feb 2004
157732 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:37 pm to
quote:

third quartile in their class. 359th out of 569 in the senior class. Essentially in the bottom 37%.

Posted by yaherrdme
The Place to Be
Member since Feb 2004
6059 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:37 pm to
quote:

She has a 28 ACT, and she has classmates with 16-18 ACTs peacocking around because they are in the top 30 taking easy schedules



Sounds like a school problem. They are not ranking properly. AP or Honors classes should be weighted more than standard classes for ranking purposes.
Posted by teke184
Zachary, LA
Member since Jan 2007
105496 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:38 pm to
quote:

When she applies to college it will pay off. Class rank means nothing except for in law school and med school.


My school quit submitting class rank about 30 years ago because it wasn’t reflective of a kid’s actual abilities.

Small school where moving down 1 spot could move you out of the area a school wanted (ex - top 5% or top 10%), which was an issue when dealing with selective colleges.
Posted by anc
Member since Nov 2012
20789 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:44 pm to
quote:

I find it a It’s a bigger problem when comparing grades from certain schools against others. My son has to bust his arse to get a 3.5 at Jesuit. It makes you wonder if it’s worth it. I could send into an abundance of other New Orleans schools that are pretty well respected and he could have a 4.0 with little to no work.



Exactly. I watched the stress she went through being a two sport athlete taking AP and Honors classes. That B was one of the highest grades in the class - and the school is rewarding students who took the easy route. I have voiced my concern, and the principal agrees, but their policy is to not weigh classes.

This is what I really hate. Her overall average is 96.25. They rank all 4.0s first, then go down. So someone she knows that has a 4.0 in easy classes with a 92 average is ranked above her.

This post was edited on 10/8/26 at 1:46 pm
Posted by Tigersforthee
Member since Dec 2025
516 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:45 pm to
Recently went to a college graduation and probably 80% of the class stood up to be recognized for graduating with at least a 3.7 GPA. That's certainly a lot higher than when I went and seems pretty suspicious.
Posted by Cdawg
TigerFred's Living Room
Member since Sep 2003
62436 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:46 pm to
quote:

In Texas, you cant get into UT/A&M unless you are top 10% of class. There are literally kids that transfer to terrible high schools their senior year so they can graduate in the top 10%. Doesn't matter what your test scores are or if you can even read. Top 10%= guaranteed admission.

Nope. You cannot transfer in your senior year and claim that or at least in our school district as with most Texas school districts. You have to have 4 consecutive semesters.

UT is now 6% and A&M is 8% now.
Posted by WylieTiger
Member since Nov 2006
14969 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:55 pm to
Do they not give an extra quality point of weight for Honors, Gifted, and AP classes?

A = 5
B = 4
C = 3 and so on
This post was edited on 10/8/26 at 1:56 pm
Posted by Dawgfanman
Member since Jun 2015
26563 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:57 pm to
The grades are inflated for the 4.0 and the 3.9 and 3.7 students alike.
Posted by cornerstore
Member since Jul 2024
2240 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 1:59 pm to
The entire thing (what the colleges and high schools are doing) is designed specifically to reduce the percentage of white males in college.
Posted by evil cockroach
27.98N // 86.92E
Member since Nov 2007
9562 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 2:02 pm to
quote:

Class rank means nothing
unless one is graduating from a Texas public high school and wants to go to UT or A&M.
Posted by TheWalrus
Land of the Hogs
Member since Dec 2012
48615 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 2:26 pm to
My class rank wasn’t great, but I had a bunch of 4 or 5s on AP tests and nailed the ACT. Gave me a lot of good scholarship options.
Posted by Zendog
Santa Barbara
Member since Feb 2019
7258 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 2:31 pm to
Just have them tell the peacock students I'll see you at the ten year reunion
Posted by BitBuster
Lafayette
Member since Dec 2017
2060 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 2:32 pm to
quote:

My son has to bust his arse to get a 3.5 at Jesuit.


The public universities probably, by law, can't weigh toughness of a particular high school curriculum at all when doing admissions.

That said, a 3.5 at Jesuit probably translates to a 3.5 at LSU. He'll be prepared for upper level coursework and probably finish his degree.

Someone with a 3.5 at another school may struggle to even graduate. A lot of those kids are basically dropped on another planet when they get to a university classroom.
Posted by OlGrandad
Member since Oct 2009
4780 posts
Posted on 10/8/26 at 2:40 pm to
Gone with the wind:

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