High School Grade Inflation is Real
I often hear stories about students who get A’s in high school and are not admitted to the most selective colleges. Parents correctly question why it isn’t enough for their child with an A average to be admitted to whatever college they would like to attend.
The issue is that there has been a strong upward trend in grade inflation in U.S. high schools in the last few decades. Based on data collected as part of the “American Freshman Survey” by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, in 1985 13.4% of college freshman reported having a high school GPA of A or A+. In 2022, that percentage increased to 39.7%. If we include A- GPAs in 2022, the percentage increases to 68.6%. When close to 70% of high school students applying to college are reporting GPAs in the A range, it is understandable that college admissions offices are having a difficult time relying on high school GPAs.
It is important to remember that not all GPAs are equal. College admissions officers also review the rigor of the applicant’s courses. I recommend students taking the most rigorous courses in which they can achieve strong grades. Also, students should consider their intended major when choosing high school courses. For example, colleges often are looking for potential business majors to have taken honors, AP, or BC calculus in high school. Similarly, an applicant that wants to major in language should try to take the highest high school course level in that language.
Grade inflation is another reason why standardized test scores can be useful to admissions officers as these scores peg students to a national average. Colleges like Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown all recently announced they will require test scores for the 2024 application cycle.
In addition, a student’s engagement with extracurricular activities is another factor used to distinguish between students with similar GPAs. While high school GPA remains a very important factor in admissions at most colleges, students and parents need to be mindful of the many different elements that go into a college application to increase their chances of admission.
If you would like help in your college admissions process, please visit Excelsior Admissions Consulting Excelsior Admissions Consulting to find out more information, or click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation.
