A few days ago, Dave M. asked me a very good question, one that I get asked quite frequently. It has to do with high school grading scales and how USC balances out differences in scales across high schools. The fear on Dave's part is that because his child's high school has a scale where 92-100 is an 'A', but other schools equate 90-100 as an 'A', that his daughter is disadvantaged in the admission process. The second part of Dave's question has to do with how class rank factors into the admission decision.
At USC we see a wide variety of grading scales, so when we evaluate a transcript we recompute a core academic GPA, normalized on a 4.0 scale, which we use for admissions and scholarship purposes. As a result, the GPA the high school reports can often be very different that what we use to make our decisions. We also give additional weighting to honors, AP, IB, and dual enrollment courses to compensate for the increased rigor of these courses. We don't look to the numeric grade, if the school reports that. Rather, we look for letter grades: A,B,C,D,F. We do use the grading scale the school provides to us. If the transcript says 93 - 100 is an A, that's what we use. If another school says 90 and up is an A, so be it. I am not going to second guess the school's grading policy or rebalance the grading scale to a common numeric scale.
I hear you Dave, you're saying "Why Not!, That's not fair to my daughter!" Well, there are not only differences in grading scales, but also differences in quality of high schools, differences in the quality of instruction within high schools between two different teachers, even. Finding an equitable way to compensate for inequalities in our educational system is a challenge that we've yet to solve, but at the end of the day, we have to have some faith in our teachers, principals, superintendents and school boards that are charged with the task of educating our students and governing the process.
Variation in instruction happens in college as well. If you haven't heard it yet, parents, brace yourself for the "I had a bad professor" line, no matter where you son or daughter goes to college. I teach a freshmen course, and I have a well-deserved reputation for being a tough instructor in a class that many students think should be an easy course in comparison to their other classes. My class is not hard for the sake of being hard, but I believe I owe it to my students to give them their money's worth, so I challenge them. Most of my students earn 'A's, but they really work for it--I'll accept nothing less than their best effort. If they have buddies in other sections that also earned 'A's but didn't work as hard for them, my students may think it isn't fair, but in the long run I believe my students will be better off because I held them to a higher standard. Plus, if they meet my high standard, I will vouch for them for years to come when they need recommendations.
Our experience shows us that students that are successful in their high school environment are typically successful in college, regardless of the high school they attend, so we always put the student's record into context. This gets at the second part of Dave's question, which is how important is class rank? Our studies show that class rank is a very good predictor of college success, but the problem is that more and more high schools are refusing to tell us the rank of their students. If every high school would report class rank, we would certainly use it, but since we don't always get it, we don't typically factor in class rank. The minimum criteria for admission is based on weighted core high school GPA and SAT or ACT scores. That is what we use for most students.
But, students that are in the lowest 25-30 percent of our applicant pool are reviewed more extensively. They must meet our minimum GPA and SAT requirements, but we also try to put the record into individual context by considering the strength of the high school, the curriculum the student took compared to what was available to the student at the school, and other non-cognitive factors such as leadership, activities, service, and personal circumstances that might have affected academic performance. We are looking for students that did the best they could do within the constrains of their circumstances and environment.
This process helps take into account the strength of the school and rigor of curriculum. Interestingly, we typically see stronger SAT scores from students who attempt a tougher curriculum or attend more competitive high schools, which often have more stringent grading policies. This is partly why we use the SAT or ACT. They give us a national standard that helps equalize diffences among high schools and compensate students who may have lower GPAs, but actually learned more.
I can speak to this grading scale issue from a personal perspective as well. Journey with me back in time.... I completed most of my high school career at a school in one southern state where 90 - 100 was an A. I never made less than an A, and I was very proud. I knew exactly what it took to get a 90 or better, and I was consistently in the top ten or fifteen students in my class of 300. In the classes I was less thrilled about, I would do just what I needed to get the A because that's what I needed to get my ticket punched.
My senior year, my parents set out to ruin my life and moved my family to the Northeast where I finished my senior year at a school twice as big as my old school. I didn't know the teachers or any students, so figuring out what to take, and who from, was impossible. To make matters worse, my new school had a policy that 96 -100 was an A! How unfair to me! I made a 95 in one class, my first B ever in 11 1/2 years of schooling. I tried to explain to my dad that it would have been an A at my old school, and a good, solid A at that, and that my new school's grading scale was unfair. He wasn't buying it. An A is an A, no matter where you are, my dad maintained. There was something else on my report card that day that is interesting to note. My class rank was #6 out of more than 600. Not bad, but how could that be, if A's were harder to come by, and there was more competition? I don't think I was ever ranked that high at my old school. The answer is that I knew what it took to get an A at both schools, so that is what I worked towards. Motivated students will meet whatever the standard we set before them.
Dave, I tell you this so you will know that I know this issue from personal experience, so I can empathize with your daughter. I still haven't forgiven my parents! (Just kidding, mom.) The good news for me is that I was accepted to every school I applied to, so it all worked out in the end even though I moaned and groaned for a while, wallowing in my teen angst.
So Dave, my advice to the decision-makers at your high school is don't be afraid of upholding high academic standards. College admissions people know what schools are good schools, and we know how to spot good students at any school. We can also spot grade inflation. Encourage you sons and daughters to do the best they can and make the best grades they are capable of making. Do the best you can in your environment, and colleges and universities will take notice.
My final thought on Dave's question is this: USC does care very much about the total person. Yes, we want to our students to be academically prepared for college, and we want the profile of our freshman class to be strong. But, we also want to enroll a class of well-rounded students with a variety of perspectives, from a variety of backgrounds, with different talents, ideas, and strengths. We want USC graduates to be able to lead in the global society when they leave our hallowed halls, so we strive for diversity in all its various forms, so that our students will benefit in the long run. So Dave, if Mother Teresa applies, we'll give her a thorough review, and if we think she's prepared to do the work in the classroom, she's in, and USC will be a better place for having her.
Thanks for your question!