honors classes

# 075 – Class rank is one of the factors considered for admission decisions by college admission officers in some colleges and universities. Because class rank is so important to those institutions, it is important that you understand everything about class rank. On this episode, I talk about what class rank is, how it is computed, and how it is used in the college admission process. Additionally, I present some of the reasons why some high schools choose not to rank students. For example, in cases where the GPAs of several students in a grade level are high but also very close together, it is not unusual for students to be left out of a percentage category by mere fractions of a GPA point. I also explore the difference between weighted and unweighted class rank, and point out which of the two offers you a better opportunity to rank higher. As the episode crosses the mid-point, I re-introduce a document reported by colleges and universities, which you can use to find out how important class rank is to those schools, or if they consider it at all. It is at that point in the episode, that I explore whether class rank is important for Harvard University, Brown University, Princeton University, Stanford University, and UCLA. In fact, as I present that information on the episode, I make a decision to go over the importance each of those universities place on the different academic and non-academic factors of the admission application. You will be very surprised to hear which institutions do not care at all about class rank, and which does not make use of letter of recommendation. You can find the show notes for this episode at https://collegemetropolis.com/75. Please help us reach more high school students and parents by giving us a 5-star rating and leaving us a positive review. We will truly appreciate it!

# 074 – Your academic record will be the first part of your application to be checked by the college admission officers of the schools to which you will apply. The courses you take and the grades you receive make up a big part of your academic record. On this episode, we focus on the importance of grades as part of your transcripts, and how they are reported as a Grade Point Average. Jankel and I uncover the difference between unweighted and weighted GPA, and the reason why most schools, especially the more selective ones, will pay particular attention to weighted GPA. As the episode reached the mid-point, we present examples of two students who took various courses, including one who took higher-level courses. Through these examples, we analyze the importance of taking high-level courses, and the effect these have on weighted GPA. Towards the end, we present the steps students could take if they graduate from high school with grades that are too low to get into the colleges or universities they dream of attending. There is a very important step they could take, which may make their dreams a reality. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://collegemetropolis.com/74. Please help us reach a wider audience by giving us a 5-star rating and leaving us a positive review. That, plus telling your friends about us, is the best thing you can do to help our podcast. Thank you!

#064 – Selective Colleges and universities want to give admission to applicants who have a demonstrated record of great academic performance. One of the ways in which college admission officers are able to gauge the academic abilities of applicants is by scrutinizing the information provided in their transcripts. The more high-level classes students take and do well in, the more favorable they will be perceived as applicants. On this episode, Jankel and I go over the different levels of classes offered in high schools across the country. These include regular classes, honors classes, and advanced placement classes. Each type of class is different, some are more challenging than others, are more demanding, and require for students to apply more time and effort to do well in them. Because of those differences, the sum total of the different types of classes students take in high school tell a story about those students. During the episode we present the effect of each type of class has on weighed GPA. Doing well in some of the higher-level classes may lead to a GPA above 4.0. Additionally, we present the steps to take to receive possible college credit for advance placement classes. We will talk about the stories those classes tell about students, what students can do to create course schedules that are challenging and result in amazing transcripts, always keeping in mind that they should only take classes at a level they know they can handle. We dive into the details of all of these topics. By the end of this episode you will be able to differentiate between the different levels of classes, select those that will help build your high school transcript, and know what to do if you want to take those that are at higher level. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://collegemetropolis.com/64. You can also help our show greatly by leaving us a 5-star rating and a positive review on the podcast platform you used to download this episode. You help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!