Now I know it's gonna get worse

[lets-retire]

lets-retire, a lot of schools nowadays weight the classes such that an extra 0.33 or 0.50 or whatever is added onto the GPA of an honors or AP class. Also, when you are comparing GPAs for colleges or whatever the hell else you need them for, colleges look a lot more at your schedule and then you GPA rather than the other way around. Also, SAT/ACTs count a lot.

They do now. Where/when I was going through getting into a decent college was all about the GPA and SAT/ACT. I know I was locked out of many scholarships due to my GPA, not that it was good enough to really be in competition.

 

[Marquette]

I was home schooled. Does that mean all of it was homework or all of it was schoolwork?

 

[CitricAcid]

I was home schooled. Does that mean all of it was homework or all of it was schoolwork?

Between 9 and 3, school work... outside of that homework.

 

[Marquette]

Between 9 and 3, school work... outside of that homework.

So if my studies generally went from 9-1 but we went year-round... man, this is trippy.

 

[Leonidas]

One of my pet peeves from HS was the two-track system, one called "academic", presumably for those headed to college, and "commercial", as it was called then, which included such rigorous coursework as home ec, woodshop, and bookkeeping. I support a vocational alternative for those not destined for "higher education", though it should still be academically challenging. But I took four years of math, and four years of science, and was competing on the gpa scale with folks who took basketweaving

If it makes you feel better, Texas changed HS graduation requirements for freshmen that started HS last year. 4 years of English, science and math, and 2 years of a foreign language are required to graduate. Required math courses are Algebra I, II, Geometry and a fourth class such as Pre-Cal, Calc, AP statistics, etc. Required science classes include Biology, Chemistry and Physics, with a fourth class chosen from a wide variety of stuff ranging from Geology to something called Pathophysiology.

They still have the "commercial" alternative, although it's called something different. But with weighted GPAs I doubt any of the kids taking retailing classes are up there to steal valedictorian away from the kid taking AP Calculus in his junior year. Admittedly the high schools in the district differ in character, while the school where my son is attending had 21 NM finalists, 23 semi-finalists and 30 commended, at a different HS they had the great lunch room riot that took police from three cities to bring peace.

 

[HFWR]

Well, I finished 11th in my class, but would have been higher. Of course, if I'd have studied something beside girls, beer, and sports, I might have done better also...

 

[Nords]

If you're a Hawaii teacher, then you get more salary & certification for teaching AP courses.

The $10,000 Wal-Mart prizes don't go to the remedial math teachers, either...

Well, I finished 11th in my class, but would have been higher. Of course, if I'd have studied something beside girls, beer, and sports, I might have done better also...

Which was your best subject and which were you 11th in-- the girls, the beer, or the sports?