OT: Interesting USF incoming freshman facts

[NCBull]

Good for USF.

NWIH woulld I get in nowadays...

Yeah you would. Because a 4.0 is the new 2.0 gpa.

Sadly, this is accurate...although usually only at privileged schools who can afford to offer more AP courses. Some might be shocked to know that AP courses are now often on a six-point scale, so getting a C is equivalent to a 4.0. Honors are often on a 5 point scale. So this incoming class could potentially have a lot of Bs and Cs in their GPAs.

Sad to see the privilege gap continue to widen in education.

[TExpress]

We have reached the steroid era of high school academics...

[JTrue]

 

 

Good for USF.

NWIH woulld I get in nowadays...

Yeah you would. Because a 4.0 is the new 2.0 gpa.

Sadly, this is accurate...although usually only at privileged schools who can afford to offer more AP courses. Some might be shocked to know that AP courses are now often on a six-point scale, so getting a C is equivalent to a 4.0. Honors are often on a 5 point scale. So this incoming class could potentially have a lot of Bs and Cs in their GPAs.

Sad to see the privilege gap continue to widen in education.

 

Unless things have changed since I was teaching in Florida public schools a decade ago, a decent amount of funding used to be tied to number of kids enrolled in AP classes, not just number/percent passing the test. It benefited both the students and the school to put as many kids as possible in AP seats even if they were severely overmatched by the curriculum and had no possibility of passing and getting the college credit. Also, a lot of seniors realized that the AP scores for senior classes don't come in until AFTER college acceptance letters go out, so just taking the class showed up on the transcript and served their purpose.

[aroth]

You claim incoming freshman are smarter today than in the past....I think it's time for you to get off my lawn.

[charsibb]

You claim incoming freshman are smarter today than in the past....I think it's time for you to get off my lawn.

 

Settle down, old man. They're different, not dangerous. LOL

[BDYZR]

 

 

 

Good for USF.

NWIH woulld I get in nowadays...

Yeah you would. Because a 4.0 is the new 2.0 gpa.

Sadly, this is accurate...although usually only at privileged schools who can afford to offer more AP courses. Some might be shocked to know that AP courses are now often on a six-point scale, so getting a C is equivalent to a 4.0. Honors are often on a 5 point scale. So this incoming class could potentially have a lot of Bs and Cs in their GPAs.

Sad to see the privilege gap continue to widen in education.

 

Unless things have changed since I was teaching in Florida public schools a decade ago, a decent amount of funding used to be tied to number of kids enrolled in AP classes, not just number/percent passing the test. It benefited both the students and the school to put as many kids as possible in AP seats even if they were severely overmatched by the curriculum and had no possibility of passing and getting the college credit. Also, a lot of seniors realized that the AP scores for senior classes don't come in until AFTER college acceptance letters go out, so just taking the class showed up on the transcript and served their purpose.

 

and if anyone has a child "ENROLLED" in an AP class remember this. The school is only interested in that number. If your child struggles at all, move them. College  CARES about the GRADE, NOT that they were enrolled.

[Gismo]

Good for USF.

NWIH woulld I get in nowadays...

Yeah you would. Because a 4.0 is the new 2.0 gpa.

Sadly, this is accurate...although usually only at privileged schools who can afford to offer more AP courses. Some might be shocked to know that AP courses are now often on a six-point scale, so getting a C is equivalent to a 4.0. Honors are often on a 5 point scale. So this incoming class could potentially have a lot of Bs and Cs in their GPAs.

Sad to see the privilege gap continue to widen in education.

Unless things have changed since I was teaching in Florida public schools a decade ago, a decent amount of funding used to be tied to number of kids enrolled in AP classes, not just number/percent passing the test. It benefited both the students and the school to put as many kids as possible in AP seats even if they were severely overmatched by the curriculum and had no possibility of passing and getting the college credit. Also, a lot of seniors realized that the AP scores for senior classes don't come in until AFTER college acceptance letters go out, so just taking the class showed up on the transcript and served their purpose.

This was true at my high school. My AP economics teacher told us this in class. He said that most wont pass the AP test and most don't belong in the class, but he would get in trouble if he failed such a large percentage of the graduating seniors that don't belong in the class.

I had some AP classes with low pass rates like 10-30% because about half of the class want well suited for the higher level material. How can students really be compared when you have 1 student in a normal class, 1 student in an honors class, and 1 student in an AP class? Now that I think back on it, even though many or my classmates didnt pass a lot of the AP exams I would not want to deny them the opportunity to take an AP class and challenge themselves. What are the pre-reqs for taking AP classes?

The high school curriculum shouldn't be split into 3 tiers. It makes no sense. I think AP classes are great however but with now having AP, honors and regular and all of the GPA inflation things are out of control. Have AP and have regular, get rid of honors, get rid of GPA inflation. Get rid of GPA weighting schemes.

Who is a better student, the one who got a 4.0 taking all regular classes or the 4.0 student who had 6 AP classes weighted at 5.0?

Any student who can average a 3.5 taking AP classes that are on an unweighted 4.0 scale should do fine in college. I don't understand why schools are making up these scales that make it hard to compare students directly and across previous classes. Its just to make people frel good. University admissions applies their own weight anyway.

[Gismo]

Another tip, being enrolled in AP classes won't garuntee admissions. It is a crap shoot. I was denyied by one state school but I passed 9/10 of my AP exams and had a competive SAT score, yet I know people admitted to this university who ended up passing only 50% of their AP exams and with lower SATs.

This university also denied a friend who was 2nd in his class and another very bright friend of mine. Those friends ended up at different private schools both listed on US News top 50. I came to USF. It's amazing we all got denied from this particular school and then to see some of the other people who got accepted. It's actually like a joke between us and our families now.

It's understandable students send out many applications because it really can be a crapshoot sometimes.

[zarnozdabull]

For perspective I was waitlisted and barely made the cut in 2009. I had an 1180/1600 on the SAT and had two college credits from passing AP U.S. History and A.P. European history.

[TrujilloBull2013]

i dropped (well, flunked) out of junior year of HS, and that was after spending most of freshman year in ISS, sophomore year truant two or more days a week, and junior year taking sophomore classes on the "fast track" to the slow 5 year + summer school graduation plan. **** that. never took ACT, never took SAT, never graduated. GED = Good Enough Diploma.

 

i only got into USF (back in '05) because of the 2 + 2 plan that guarantees admission to a FL public University with the completion of an AA/AS at a Florida 2-year college.

 

my grades from CC unquestionably justified my admission-- i got my AA with a 3.8 and graduated USF with an institutional 4.0 (some old F's from my first semester at CC pissed my graduating GPA to around 3.7 but anyway)....

 

the point is if my admission to USF or ANY academic institution were dependent on ANYTHING related to my High School experience, from grades to discipline, i would have been screwed.

 

i love seeing the selectivity of USF increase along with the average scores and GPA of incoming freshmen BUT... i want to see some studies on how successful USF graduates are once they enter the workforce; rate of employment, average annual salary, the industries in which they work, etc. i don't think we would be disappointed. my BA from USF got me a job right after graduation, and has led to opportunities living and working internationally.

 

when it comes to a University, i think the more important thing is what comes OUT with a cap, gown and tassel rather than what comes in. USF (along with the 2 years at SCF) turned a drop out flunky with disciplinary issues at 3 high schools all over his record into a teacher with international experience.