The Truth About High School Grades

If you're a high school student with college aspirations or a parent supporting one, there's a fundamental truth you need to understand: straight A's don't carry the weight they once did. This isn't meant to discourage hard work, but rather to provide clarity about the current educational landscape and help you navigate it more effectively.

According to Inside Higher Ed, over 47% of high school students now graduate with A averages, yet actual student achievement has been declining across multiple measures. While grades have been steadily climbing since the 1990s, performance on standardized tests like the SAT, ACT, and AP exams has been falling. Students are achieving higher grades in more advanced classes without corresponding gains in actual proficiency, creating a gap between perceived and real learning.

The consequences extend far beyond high school hallways. High school GPAs, once considered the best predictor of college success, have lost much of their predictive value. While many colleges initially dropped SAT and ACT requirements, selective institutions are now bringing these standardized tests back because they desperately need objective measures they feel they can trust. Students armed with excellent grades often march off to college only to find themselves placed in remedial courses because they haven't actually mastered the material their grades suggested they had.

This disconnect affects everyone. Employers complain that graduates lack basic workforce skills. College professors report that incoming students struggle with fundamental tasks like reading books thoroughly. Parents are often shocked when their straight-A students face rejection from selective universities, not realizing that in today's landscape, an A truly has become average.

The challenge for today's students is figuring out how to differentiate themselves when everyone seems to have identical transcripts. Many hardworking students have responded by piling on academic rigor, taking increasingly heavy course loads. However, this approach often backfires. Taking eleven AP classes might look impressive on paper. Still, it fundamentally changes the high school experience and can compromise the mental health and well-being that adolescents need to thrive.

While high school grades are determined using different rubrics across schools and teachers, standardized assessments like AP and IB exams are graded according to the same criteria nationwide. For students who have access to AP or IB programs, their scores can be a more reliable measure,but this path is not available or for everyone. This means that although an "A" in a high school class may be a weaker signal than it used to be, a score of 4 or 5 on an AP exam hasn't experienced the same decline in meaning. A student who can demonstrate objective mastery on a criterion-referenced test provides powerful validation of their classroom grades.

Students navigating this landscape should shift focus from grade accumulation to genuine learning and mastery. Rather than asking "How can I get an A?" ask "Am I actually learning this material?" Choose depth over breadth by selecting fewer courses where you can achieve genuine mastery and strong standardized test performance. Instead of retaking tests for higher grades, spend that time ensuring you understand the underlying concepts that will serve you in college. Seek meaningful challenges by choosing a few substantial extracurricular commitments over multiple superficial activities that you believe will look good on applications.

Parents play a crucial role in helping their children maintain perspective. While it's natural to want children to succeed, the definition of success needs to include happiness, health, and genuine preparation for future challenges. Remember that straight A's don't guarantee admission to selective schools, and the goal isn't just to accumulate impressive-looking credentials but to develop skills and knowledge needed for lifelong success.

This doesn't mean grades don't matter or that students should stop working hard. Rather, it means putting grades in their proper context as one measure among many, and recognizing that in an era of grade inflation, objective demonstrations of knowledge and skill carry more weight than ever before.

The students who will thrive in college and beyond are those who focus on genuine mastery, maintain their well-being, and develop the critical thinking and learning skills that no amount of grade inflation can fake. Colleges increasingly want students who can actually succeed in their programs, not just students with perfect GPAs.

In a world where an A has become average, the real differentiator isn't the grade itself but the authentic learning and growth it's supposed to represent. By keeping this perspective and focusing on substance over statistics, students and families can navigate the current educational landscape more successfully while preserving what matters most: genuine education, personal growth, and the foundation for lifelong learning and achievement.

"No Contact" Orders on College Campuses

Allison’s mother was confused when she received the call. Her daughter, a sophomore at a prestigious university, had been issued a "No Contact Order" – not because of any serious accusation, but because of a roommate dispute that had escalated beyond typical college drama. What once might have been resolved through a heart-to-heart conversation or mediation had instead become a formal legal-sounding document with "bulleted lists of prohibited behaviors."

This scenario is becoming increasingly common on college campuses across America. No Contact Orders, once utilized for sexual assault accusations, are now being used by some college students to avoid people they do not like, becoming the go-to solution for a generation uncomfortable with face-to-face conflict.

For parents sending their teenagers to college, this trend reveals something profound about how today's young adults navigate interpersonal challenges. Many of these students grew up communicating through screens, where blocking someone is as simple as clicking a button. The digital generation has mastered the art of avoidance, unfollowing, muting, and blocking their way out of uncomfortable situations. When they arrive at college, they're often unprepared for the messy reality of sharing physical spaces with people they'd rather not encounter.

The psychological implications are significant. While these formal orders may provide temporary relief from conflict, they don't teach essential life skills such as communication, compromise, and conflict resolution. Students who rely on institutional intervention for minor disputes miss opportunities to develop emotional resilience and interpersonal problem-solving capabilities that will serve them throughout their careers and relationships.

College administrators find themselves in an increasingly difficult position. These orders are typically issued when there's "reasonable concern that physical or psychological harm may result from such contact," but the definition of psychological harm has expanded considerably. What constitutes genuine need for protection versus an inability to cope with normal social friction has become blurred.

For college-bound students and their parents, understanding this landscape is crucial. Before heading to campus, families should discuss conflict resolution strategies, the importance of direct communication, and when it's appropriate to seek administrative help versus working through interpersonal challenges independently. Students need to understand that while these orders exist as protective measures, they shouldn't be the first response to every uncomfortable social situation. Students can reach out to their resident advisors or older students trained in conflict resolution.

If your teenager hasn't left for college yet, now is the time to prioritize these skills. High school provides a safer environment to practice difficult conversations and work through conflicts, while parents can still offer guidance and support. Use everyday disagreements, whether with family members, friends, teachers, or coaches, as teaching moments. Help your teen navigate these situations directly rather than avoiding them, so they arrive on campus with real experience in face-to-face problem-solving rather than just theoretical knowledge about conflict resolution.

The goal isn't to eliminate all conflict from college life – it's to help young adults develop the emotional intelligence and communication skills they'll need long after graduation, when there won't be a student conduct office to mediate every difficult conversation.

BA or BFA: Which is Best for You?

You have a passion for musical theater. Or, perhaps you love to paint, dance, or perform with your musical instrument. You can’t imagine not pursuing a major in your chosen creative area in college. But as you explore colleges, you notice that some offer BA degrees and others BFA (or BM) degrees in your intended major. What’s the difference, and how do you decide between the two?

Generally speaking, all students will complete between 30 and 40 classes during college, regardless of their major or degree. The main difference between a BA and a BFA program is how those classes will be divided between courses in the arts/performing arts and courses in other areas of study.

Students working towards a Bachelor of Art (BA) will usually complete 10 to 12 courses in their major (i.e., studio art, music, dance, theater, etc.). They’ll take the remaining courses towards their degree in a broad range of other subjects. For students studying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree, that schedule will be reversed. Depending on the school, BFA students may take 18 to 20 courses in their creative area, filling out the rest of their schedule with courses in other subjects. (Some music conservatories offer a Bachelor of Music (BM) degree, which is similar to a BFA in terms of the number of courses required for the major.)

Which degree path is right for you? That depends on your interests and goals.

Students studying in a BA program have more flexibility to study other subjects that interest them. A BA degree also makes it possible to double major in a second subject area and still graduate in four years. For example, a student may decide to study both studio art and business, or music and neuroscience. This flexibility keeps the doors open in terms of after-college career options as well. Therefore, the BA degree is often the most comfortable fit for students who have a wide range of academic interests who aren’t sure they want to focus most of their attention on their creative interest during college.

On the flip side, students who are positive that they want to devote most of their time during college to developing their creative talents – perhaps with the goal of a career in the field – may find a BFA degree program the best fit. The greater number of courses in the student’s area of study often means deeper and more intensive training. For this reason, many consider a BFA to be a preprofessional degree, preparing students for a specific career.

One other difference between BA and BFA programs is that BFA programs often have more stringent admissions requirements and some programs are quite competitive. Students applying to BFA programs should expect to prepare and submit portfolios or attend auditions as part of the admissions process. Although there are some exceptions, most BA programs do not require auditions or portfolios at the time of admission.

Rigor of Curriculum

Looking to attend a highly selective university? You’ll need to make good choices when selecting your classes, beginning as early as eighth grade. Middle school students may have the option of taking their first year of a foreign language and/or a more advanced Math class such as Algebra 1. When a student submits a college application, the admission reader also receives detailed information about academic options available at that student’s high school. The reader will expect to see that the applicant has taken the most challenging classes available, and has done well in those tough classes.

Further proficiency may be demonstrated with a strong performance on the SAT Subject Tests, AP Tests or the IB tests. Colleges will carefully examine overall academic rigor and performance, as well as grade trends over the course of high school – they don’t like to see downtrends, ever, so if you struggle in a tough class, always seek help.

In order to be competitive and well balanced, students should take 4 years of English, 4 years of one foreign language, 2-3 years of History/Social Sciences, 4 years of Mathematics and 4 years of laboratory sciences to an advanced level. Note that the majority of successful applicants to an Ivy League college will present with 4 classes in each core subject. Elective classes can also reveal the range of an applicants’ interests. Taking advanced classes in your areas of academic interest also reveals more about you, but you may want to be cautious about taking on more advanced coursework in weaker subjects that are not an imperative for your likely area of college studies. Selective colleges highly value students with special talents, strong personal qualities, long-term involvement in some important extracurricular activities and evidence of resourcefulness and resilience. Colleges want students who will take advantage of the many opportunities they’ll find on campus, come prepared to develop new knowledge, and show academic curiosity both in and out of the classroom.

It is a given that students should take advantage of AP courses, Honors classes and the most advanced options offered at their school, but there are other ways of completing more advanced coursework that will be interesting to an admissions review committee. Taking college classes, perhaps through dual enrollment, demonstrates the applicant’s ability to manage college-level coursework and shows careful time management. Other students may choose to take summer classes on a college campus. MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are other ways of taking on additional coursework in areas of interest.

You can’t design your school’s curriculum but you can control how you complete your four years of high school, so plan well for the most rigorous program you can comfortably handle while still having a balanced life.

Necessary Legal and Financial Documents

There are a few legal and financial issues that should be addressed before your son or daughter goes off to college. If your child has turned or will turn 18 during the next year, s/he is legally an adult, and you, the parent, lose the legal authority to make decisions on their behalf. That means that you have no legal right to see college grades, to manage their finances (although you remain responsible for tuition costs), or to make medical decisions or speak with their doctors. So, before s/he goes off to college, consider having your child sign some documents that will keep them safer and you informed.

• FERPA release: with your child’s permission, you can speak with the college about his/her performance. Colleges often have their own FERPA release forms, which may be available online.

• HIPAA Authorization: allows you to access your child’s health records and speak to his/her doctors about medical issues and care.

• Advance Care Directive for Health Care: allows you to act on your adult child’s behalf in the event that s/he is incapacitated and unable to make decisions.

• Durable Power of Attorney: allows you to act on your adult child’s behalf regarding legal or financial matters. This is especially helpful if your student is studying abroad as you will be able to sign their tax returns and residential leases.

The last three forms are available online and can be downloaded for free. If your student will be attending school out of state, make sure to use the appropriate HIPPA Authorization as requirements can vary from state to state. All three of these documents need to be notarized. Each of these forms can be revoked at any time, but having them in place while your child is away at college may provide the whole family with extra peace of mind.

This is also a good time to address money management issues.

• Set up a bank account that will allow you to easily transfer money to your child’s account. An online bank account may be the most useful, especially if the bank has special student accounts available that will give parents access to bank information. Find out which banks have ATMs close to campus—college kids usually don’t write many checks. Be sure to check on fees for using an ATM that’s not part of your bank’s network.

• Make plans to protect student property. College kids tend to have a lot of valuable electronics and computer equipment. Renter’s insurance can protect your investment if these items were to disappear. Your homeowner’s policy might also cover dorm room possessions—check with your agent.

• Health insurance: check out options provided by the college and compare these policies with your existing family medical coverage.

• Car insurance: check with your agent. If your child will not have a car at college, you may be eligible for a discount on your auto rate.