Expert Admissions in the News

By Bari Meltzer Norman

Q:  I've heard that some universities recalculate GPAs when they review a student's application.  Why do they do this and does this mean that my daughter's GPA, as computed by her school, is unimportant?

A:  Some universities do recalculate GPAs during the admissions review.  This is done to more adequately assess the candidate's academic performance.  After all, a student's GPA is usually computed with such classes as weight lifting, band, and television production getting as much weight as a college preparatory-level algebra or biology class.

Colleges and universities that do this recalculation typically compute a GPA for academic courses in traditional subject areas such as English, math, science, history, and foreign language.  Courses that aren't included are in departments such as physical education, home economics, religion (for those attending religious schools), and fine arts.

While some universities recalculate GPAs, this does not mean that your daughter's school's computation of her GPA is unimportant.  If her high school ranks students, the high school will use its GPA to determine students' ranking.  Rank is an important part of the admissions review when it is provided by a high school. 

If your daughter's school doesn't rank all students, they may provide similar, though limited, rank information to colleges.  For instance, when I was an Admissions Officer, I read applications from schools that only ranked their top 10 students.  I also read applications from high schools that only ranked their top 10 percent, while others just provided a decile (1st decile = top 10%, 2nd decile = top 20% and so on), but not an actual numerical rank.  All of these versions of ranking students are based on how the individual high school computes GPA, and not on how a particular university computes it. 

Check with the registrar at your daughter's high school to find out the school's policy on ranking students.  In addition, check with each college your daughter is applying to, as not all colleges recalculate GPAs.

Q:  My daughter is currently in eighth grade. She is a high achiever and in mostly advanced classes.  How do I determine if the high school she will be attending will give her the best education that she will need to even be considered at a top college with a scholarship?  Do colleges actually look for students that come from specific schools? 

A:  First, it doesn't matter as much which high school your daughter goes to so much as it matters that she does well in high school and that the high school prepares her for high-level college work (I say "high-level" only because you mention top colleges in your question).  For instance, 66 percent of Harvard's incoming class graduates from a public high school.  So it's not the case that a private high school is always better than a public high school, or vice versa.  You should pick the school based on what it has to offer academically and extracurricularly, and what kind of student/learner your daughter is.  Different students have different needs and one school may be great for one kid, but lousy for another.  Where will your daughter thrive?  One thing is for sure – simply going to a well-respected high school isn’t enough to get into the college of your choice.

As for scholarships, many admissions offices automatically consider students for merit scholarships as part of the admissions review.  Merit awards are typically announced at the time the offer of admission is extended.  Sometimes, designation as a merit scholar includes access to special classes, professors, and housing – in addition to scholarship money.  Financial aid based on need (as opposed to merit) is applied for by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); at many schools, additional forms are required.  Check with each college regarding the availability of and selection process for merit aid (for instance, no Ivy League college offers merit or athletic scholarships).

Finally, colleges select individuals to build their freshman class, and focus less on picking kids from certain high schools.  Admissions officers help build a class, and they pick students based on a variety of factors, most notably their achievements.  Ultimately, your daughter will be reviewed in the context of her high school and her community.

Bari Meltzer Norman, Ph.D. is a former Ivy League admissions officer.  She is currently in private practice as a college advisor.  For more information, visit www.MyCollegeCounselor.com.