AP « Thoughts From The College Application Guru

Category: AP

January 8, 2011

College application stress

by jschoen — Categories: admissions, Advanced Placement, AP — Tags: College Admission, college application, Learning — 1 Comment

I just read a great blog post by Katherine Price on application stress. Students question if they’ve taken the “right” courses, if all AP or IB classes are enough to get them admitted.

What I thought about is “are students learning in high school” and “are they having any fun?”

First, the pressure to take the most rigorous courses to be considered for admission to highly selective colleges cannot be underestimated. But it begs the question are students learning in those courses? Are they leaning to communicate, to write clearly, to think critically, to understand how one discipline approaches a problem or question differently from another? Or are they gathering facts designed to give them high scores on standardze tests or the AP tests that can get them college credit? Does the learning stick or does it disappear after the test is done?

I also wonder if we in admissions push students to take those AP courses in calculus and physics, chemistry and statistics and value them more than classes in the humanities and social sciences, as if those fields are less important to learning and academic advancement.

Finally, students need to have fun and not study every minute of every day. There is a great deal to be said about social and emotional maturity helping students make the most out college when they get there. If they don’t get that through high school experiences, through clubs and organizations (that they enjoy participating in rather than calculated resume building) or by hanging out with friends, when and where will they safely learn those skills. Plus fun and time away from studying rejuvenates and helps in learning (just like exercise gets blood literally flowing to your brain).

I wonder what can be done to lessen the stress to reasonable amounts for students who want to go to college, to encourage them to be great at something they love to learn about. What do you suggest?

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October 15, 2010

What’s Your GPA? The REAL one?

by jschoen — Categories: admissions, AP, college admission, high school transcripts, transcripts — Tags: College Admission, GPA — 5 Comments

What is your GPA? Is that weighted or unweighted? Does it include all the classes you’ve taken in high school? What GPA is considered by the colleges you are considering?

I’d bet money that any high school junior or senior could tell you what their GPA is in a split second. We’re trained to keep track of that number. The important question is – how was that GPA calculated? I want you to know your “real” GPA, the one that colleges are going to look at when they consider your admissions application.

So – what’s a real GPA, you ask. It’s your GPA for all of your academic courses – English, math, science, world language, social studies. It doesn’t include PE or band, TA or yearbook, leadership class or religious studies (like the kind you’d take in a Catholic high school, for example). It’s simply for your academic courses.

I worked with Mark, a student who believed his GPA was a 3.8, and he was right when you account for all his A grades in gym and in band. But take those grades out and his GPA dropped to a 3.3. He was surprised by this and it made him consider how likely he was to be admitted to some of his college choices. It also made him work harder on his essays and activities lists as he knew these things would be more important. He didn’t change his mind about where to apply, but where he previously thought he was a shoe-in for admission with his high GPA, he now knew he had to spend more time on the rest of his application.

Something else to consider – not all schools look at weighted GPAs. They want your GPA unweighted. Yes, taking AP and IB classes matter to admissions committees as they know you have been challenged to think critically and write well. Knowing your unweighted GPA helps to put things in perspective for you.

One more tidbit I want to share: while honors courses look good on your transcript, many colleges won’t give those classes extra weight in your GPA calculation. The reason for that – colleges don’t know how individual high schools decide what an honors course is. They do know that AP and IB classes use specific curriculum that goes through a rigorous process before it’s decided. That’s why some colleges will only give weighted GPA values to AP and IB courses.

Admissions is answering one very important question when they look at your GPA and test scores: can this student succeed at this university? If you know your unweighted GPA (as well as your weighted GPA for colleges who consider it), you’re increasing your knowledge about yourself as a student. And it helps you see your own application a little more like the admissions committee does.

There are many GPA calculators online. Here’s one that calculates unweighted grades. Ask your guidance counselor for an unofficial copy of your high school transcript and just plug in the information at http://www.college-scholarships.com/online_college_gpa_calculator.htm. Feel free to look at other GPA calculators that can help you figure your weighted grades, too.

Good luck to you! And remember to breathe as you prepare for college admissions!

Zinjenzo – The College Application Guru

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February 7, 2010

Which one: AP and IB or Community College?

by jschoen — Categories: adm, admissions, Advanced Placement, AP, Class selection, college, college admissions, IB, International Baccalaureate — Tags: AP classes, college preparation, high school courses, IB classes — 16 Comments

I get asked the following question often: “Should I take AP or IB classes offered at the high school or should I take classes at the community college while I’m still in high school?” In Washington state, we call these community college classes “running start.” (AP = Advanced Placement. IB = International Baccalaureate)

My answer: where you take the class is less important than WHAT class you take. You can attend a community college and take classes like PE, business math, automotive tech. If you plan to go into a technical college, then these classes are okay (though personally I feel every student benefits with math at least through Algebra II and learning another language). However, if your goal is to get into a 4-year college, then you’ll want to stick to English, math, history, foreign language, and science at the community college – especially math, science and foreign language.

All colleges value students who go above and beyond the minimum high school requirements. So if you’re taking an AP or IB Calculus class or Calculus in the community college, that’s excellent; you’re taking Calculus! Same thing if you are taking a fourth or fifth year of Spanish (or any language) at the AP/IB level or at a community college – the level of the class is the same.

AP/IB are “regulated” classes, that is, they have a set curriculum that is standard for all schools who offer it. Community College classes can teach a variety of topics in their English 101 classes, for example. In that way, some 4-year colleges prefer those top level high school classes.

To make the right decision for you – consider what classes will challenge you the most as you prepare for college. Then consider the environment where you will thrive. Do you like the structure of high school and the consistency of continuing your education there in the best classes? Does your high school offer AP or IB classes?

Or do you chafe a bit under the rules of high school? (Colleges have rules, too!) But maybe a little more freedom in your schedule, classes that teach more information and sometimes much faster (if you go from the semester system in high school to a quarter system at a community college, you’ll move much faster through your studies) would really help you blossom.

You don’t have to figure which classes to take all on your own. Ask your guidance counselors for advice. Talk with your parents. Ask students who are taking community college classes about their experiences. Ask the students in the AP/IB classes what their experiences have been like. And don’t hesitate to ask college admissions counselors how they look at transcripts and what classes they like to see prospective students’ transcripts. Gather information and then you’ll make a well informed decision.

Choose well, challenge yourself in class, and enjoy learning!

Zinjenzo – The College Application Guru

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