@RJM posted:In a world of grade inflation it’s not hard to get a 3.5 in high school. Just avoid the challenging classes. I know two kids who went to a high ranked HA D1 taking only general college courses and zero honors courses. The “average” high school student now graduates with a 3.0 (of 4.0)
The part the player can’t avoid are the hard questions on the SAT/ACT test. When my son went through recruiting he heard 1300-1350 from Ivies. If a kid can get a 1300 on the SAT he’s likely going to be able to survive the classroom. No one I know who went to Ivies said it was hard. They said it was very competitive to finish at or near the top of the class.
Our experience so far is the “elite” HA D3 schools are paying a lot more attention to grades, rigor, and math courses. The SAT and PSAT have also been mentioned. Ivies have only asked about GPA and scores. Most have said kids who won’t be successful there don’t get in.