Hello, first post here. I have a '22 LHP/OF who is a good student. His GPA so far is 4.0 weighted and he is taking an honors courseload. He might end up being D3 level player and hopefully HA. When is the right time to do a Headfirst camp? And are there any other routes for HA exposure that he should consider? I just want to plan ahead for the budget and also time off for the week from whatever sport / team he is on. He also plays football and basketball so is busy all year round.
Thanks!
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The very earliest I would recommend would be summer AFTER your sophomore year, but really I don’t recommend that. The sweet spot is summer after your Junior year.
Hello and welcome. There is a wealth of experience on this board with the HA D3 route, including experience with events and camps, as well as impressions and info on specific schools. Just search and/or ask.
2022OFDAD is correct - HA D3 coaches do their primary recruiting during the player's rising senior year. There is no harm in going to HF etc before that, and it may help him get on the radar earlier, as well as expose him to HA D1 schools if he has potential to play at that level. It can also get him comfortable with the format, though a local camp or showcase can probably achieve that goal at a much lower cost.
What part of the country are you in? Recommendations of events will depend a lot on that.
Agreed on timing, Headfirst; Stanford and Perfect Game All Academic are the ones we considered. Geographic proximity can determine what event. One other note as it gets close he will need to decide should he go in as a 2way or just a P? That is a whole other discussion.Best of luck and enjoy the Board.
Thanks! We are in the northeast within driving proximity to a lot of HAs. Any thoughts on which are the best schools with the best baseball programs?
Thanks for insight on the timing of things. We are just trying to get info and make a plan before we find it's too late.
(and so not looking forward to decision making about PO or fielder/hitter...wish 2way was more routine but I understand why it isn't)
Here's a great place to start:
Behold the great BogeyorPar HA Baseball List:
https://community.hsbaseballwe...88#43671021009968688
Beyond that I'd start by looking at all the NESCAC schools that seem like a good match, as well as the Centennial Conference schools, then Liberty League and maybe UAA. There are a lot of good choices!
Thanks! Great list! I'd be happy if my son attended any of those schools on that list (and hopefully gets to play ball too).
As a freshman pursuing baseball at a higher academic school you have time. Budget your money into refining skills, getting strong, competing with a top summer club, keeping that arm healthy.
How big is he now and where does he project per the Pediatrician? Where is his velo now?
Being a LHP will be a big draw if he projects with size and is throwing 83-85 as a Soph. So again there's time.... If he's throwing that hard as a Lefty during Soph season, he'll get interest from Mid D1's summer of incoming Junior year. Also, he'd likely get interest from a Northwestern, ND, Service Academy's that summer. IF, he projects to be a big kid, top D1 academics like a Duke could gain interest, knowing the velo projects upward with his physical frame.
IF, focus is entirely high academic thinking positioning for the next 40 years...attending a few individual Ivy camps summer of incoming junior year would be a good approach. Especially if he is a Hitter!!! If he is, and IF he has sub 6.9 speed it would open more doors.
The two way stuff will sort itself out, keep playing that role until physical size, hitting ability, speed, suggest focusing on your most recruitable asset.
Top HA D3's get their pool of players whom were trying to get picked up by an IVY. These players will typically know by August or Sept of their Senior year that they'll be playing at HPY, or a Dartmouth. IF it's a NO to an Ivy, these players will step up their interests with the Johns Hopkins, Amherst, Middlebury etc's….. The smarter players will make sure the HA D3's they're interested in know who they are by May-June of incoming Senior summer. Going to a June HF or Showball Camp is a good way to get on their radars, then go again in July-August.
IF your son definitely has velo and talent to pitch at a Mid D1 and by default for an Ivy, I'd be going to the AZ Junior Fall Showcase where all the Ivy's are at, then follow up with the Nov HF or Showball Camps. The Ivy's will have seen him twice in three weeks his Junior year. YOUR SON will definitely know if they like his skills.
BUT, you have to be realistic about his interest, his true pitching ability, and your ability to fund a high priced education like an Ivy or a NESCAC school. The great thing is if your AGI is less than $180-$200k per year, you'll be able to get a fair amount of financial aid (grants) to keep the cost of education similar to a top State University.
Tons of stuff on this board, use the Search button top right. The best thing you are doing for your son is coming onto this site to plan ahead.
Welcome!
NESCAC is always mentioned in regards to the northeast. Don’t overlook the NEWMAC.
Babson, Clark, Coast Guard, Emerson, MIT, Springfield, Wheaton and WPI. Endicott is a HA in the CCC that plays a very competitive schedule.
RJM posted:NESCAC is always mentioned in regards to the northeast. Don’t overlook the NEWMAC.
Babson, Clark, Coast Guard, Emerson, MIT, Springfield, Wheaton and WPI. Endicott is a HA in the CCC that plays a very competitive schedule.
Totally agree RJM!
Thanks all! Lots of good info. He's 6'2 now and 160 lbs as a freshman. Probably has one more smaller height spurt to go but his upper body hasn't really started to fill out yet. Looks like that will come though. We will see what the next year of maturation does for velocity.
Focus is on keeping top grades to keeo as many options open while he trains physically too. It's hard to fit it all in plus also play football and basketball. Will be interesting to see when/if the rubber meets the road but for now he's enjoying it all.
Thanks!
Also parent of a 2022 RHP/OF who has excellent academic potential, and who had excellent success for my 2018 from attending one HF as a rising Senior in August.
I left it too late for 2018 S1, as he was a position player and had D1 potential, but it turned out fine. He got lots of interest from attending HF, though he ended up choosing between schools that he had previously contacted on his lonesome, though they saw him at HF, which cemented their interest in him.
If 2022's velo during the summer/fall before Junior year looks promising, then I might go with him to FL HF in the fall to get some HA D1 eyes on him. If he is throwing under 80 mph, though , I won't bother, and will wait for the summer before Senior year. In my experience, if you can throw over 82mph, can throw two pitches for strikes, and have excellent marks/scores, then some HA D3 will come knocking on your door.
2018 also went to Showball(academic). We didn't like it quite as much, and didn't get much feedback from them, but another guy the next town over got picked up by Brown. It's a bit less spendy than HF.
Make sure to fill out recruiting profiles and keep programs that you are interested in starting in junior year, if you have good things to report.
You probably already know this, but LHP's are an exception to almost every rule. They can and will get recruited late, and with lesser Baseball stats(not academic!) than RHP's. They can have long hair, tattoos, piercings, and get away with it...because they're Lefties!
Oh, and one other thing. I've found "honors" courses to be less impressive to admissions offices than IB or AP courses. True HA schools will want to see a heavy dose of those, unless your guy is throwing 87-88, in which case he can do whatever the hell he wants.
Wildcat: Welcome to HSBBWEB. My son (2015) went the HA route from the start. Early on freshman year he did some BF and PG events primarily to get measurables. Starting sophomore year he did Showball, HF, and Tops 96. These were all "bang for buck events" with each having at least 40-50 coaches. Showball event had 75. This generated initial interest from schools, who had received his completed questionnaires, videos and introductory e-mails. By junior year he did a number of school related camps. I often joke that the best $75 ever spent was a camp (withe a school where son would land) run by the RC and position coach. Unlike HF and other camps with 100's of prospects, son stood out at the school specific camps.
Back to your original question, it's tough to say when to go to HF. Son went to HF (Long Island) as a rising junior, which may have been too "early." But if he went summer junior year (August) that would probably be too late. As is the case with many D1, the HA D1's have advanced their timetables. Even though this is the case, most offers do come summer before senior year. I suspect your son will be a PO. LHP are valuable, regardless of level. Congrats to your son's grades. He should not let up with his efforts in the classroom . Good grades can serve as the "tie-breaker" between two similar recruits. Finally, it's always good to prep for and take SAT/ACTs early if he is looking the HA route. Good luck!
Wildcat, Everything above is great info from folks who've already tread the path you're starting on. The most significant thing I learned, though too late for my 2019, is that the Ivy's seem to want to see you at camp on campus, and early in jr. year. The earlier timetable issue is real. What's also real and something to keep at the forefront as you head into sr. summer and sr. year is that different schools, even with roughly the same academics, handle recruits differently. At some schools, only a very few accepted are coach's picks (like 3 recruits) and at other schools it's 8-9 recruits. Another thing to be aware of is if your son is recruited to a HA d3 or Ivy, he'll likely NOT be walking into a situation where over-recruiting is going on, but there are a few exceptions that are worth knowing about. PM me and I'll tell you what our experience has been in that regard.
PM Ripken and Smoke! Great insight!
My 2021 OF/2B son is also hoping for a HA school. He has a 4.3 GPA and takes all honors/AP courses. I have a follow up question about timing of SAT/ACTs. When is the best time to try to get these out of the way? Between high school ball, his travel team (which really does travel during the summer), and his demanding class schedule, it could be tough to squeeze in a test prep class for big chunks of the year.
IMHO the first thing to do is get the notion of "getting them out of the way" out of your thinking. Those scores are, again IMHO, equally important as grades to HA schools, so getting a score within the median range of target schools should be regarded as a highly important way-point to reach, as well as a great opportunity for a student to prove he belongs at the level of school he or she aspires to.
The good news is that by taking a rigorous course load your son is already prepping for these tests. He should sign up to take both tests at the earliest practical opportunity in order to get a baseline idea of where he stands. Who knows -- maybe he'll test high enough and he'll be done. If not, then you have plenty to time to figure out what kind of test prep he should and when he should try again.
JCG posted:IMHO the first thing to do is get the notion of "getting them out of the way" out of your thinking. Those scores are, again IMHO, equally important as grades to HA schools, so getting a score within the median range of target schools should be regarded as a highly important way-point to reach, as well as a great opportunity for a student to prove he belongs at the level of school he or she aspires to.
The good news is that by taking a rigorous course load your son is already prepping for these tests. He should sign up to take both tests at the earliest practical opportunity in order to get a baseline idea of where he stands. Who knows -- maybe he'll test high enough and he'll be done. If not, then you have plenty to time to figure out what kind of test prep he should and when he should try again.
Exactly right. The first thing a HA college coach will ask is what your SAT/ACT score is. GPA's can be all over the map...an ACT doesn't lie(well, it sort of can, but we'll leave that discussion for another day). Coaches won't waste their time on a player that won't get through admissions.
If you want to get into a true HA D3, let alone a tippy top one, then you'd better have an ACT score that starts with a 3. The sooner you get your test scores in, the better. Coaches want to see a great ballplayer, and great scores, and a great GPA, with a rigorous course load. My son's school gives all the students a chance to take a test ACT in Freshman year, while the more senior students take the real test. You can also take ACT prep and tests during the summer.
Going to a school camp advice is sound. 2018 only went to 2 in the fall of Senior year, but had invites to many more, including Ivy's and HA D1's. Some of the invites were spammy, some not. Since we are in the upper Midwest, we decided not to go to a lot of them, as most of the schools were a long way away, would end up being expensive, and he already had a couple/three schools that he really liked and had a pretty good idea that he was "in" that were just as good.
Having said that, I know that he missed an opportunity or three by not going to some HA camps in the northeast, as the two camps that he went to both wanted him to apply, with one in particular REALLY wanting him. Another more or less said he was in if he showed to camp(HS coach was an alum), but we couldn't find time to get there. All the schools mentioned have outstanding academic reps. It's tough for some of the D3's to find kids who can really play ball AND have great academic achievement.
Based on my experience with my two boys Id get the tutoring started during the summer of incoming Junior year. The kid gets the reps, finds out from practice tests strengths and weaknesses, allows time to find or change tutors... This can be done during the week in between summer club tourneys.
Target to take the Sept-Oct test to benchmark his score. Then keep the tutoring up to take the test again in Nov-Dec. The beauty about the benchmark score is you’ll know that gaining an additional 2-5 pts is possible. This can provide a sanity check for which colleges the player and parent has in mind.
As a student-athlete you want to be shooting for the middle 50th percentile ACT/SAT scores of previously accepted students. To get support thru admissions the HC will have an easier job if you at least have the lower number in the 50th %. There are exceptions if the player is highly recruitable and just missing the 50%. Avg ACT’s for HPY roster is roughly a 31 (Yale AC Tucker Frawley has stated this numerous times), yet if a strong recruit you could have a 29 and still get in. Other Ivy’s baseball rosters are known to have their avg ACT a few points in lower and have accepted those with a 27 ACT (I personally know this from a player at Penn and Cornell.
Strangely or not, some of the HA D3’s have less flexibility than Ivy’s w scores. We learned that lower end of the 50th % is a critical level for a lot of schools. Personal experience w JH, Amherst, and Midd process.
The Coaches are still baseball guys, they’re attracted to you because of your ability on the field. They hope you have the minimum grades and scores to justify looking at you a second time.
LuckyCat posted:My 2021 OF/2B son is also hoping for a HA school. He has a 4.3 GPA and takes all honors/AP courses. I have a follow up question about timing of SAT/ACTs. When is the best time to try to get these out of the way? Between high school ball, his travel team (which really does travel during the summer), and his demanding class schedule, it could be tough to squeeze in a test prep class for big chunks of the year.
Especially if you are looking at a HA as a position player (you mention OF/2B), I would suggest prepping during the summer as a rising junior. Then target an early SAT date in the fall. Should you need to retake the test, you have mid-junior year which still has enough time before the heaviest recruiting time (offers) during summer after junior year.
Timing is everything in HA recruiting, so this is a great question for both HF and when to take SATs/ACTs
I'd target HF for summer after junior year. Prior to HF and other showcases, I'd target taking SAT/ACT in the Fall of Junior Year IF he is ready and has made connections to HA D1s and D1s. This is a big IF. However it can be a real difference maker IF your son has top SAT numbers, D1 talent, and is considering Ivys and others like it. Otherwise there is no rush, and he can take SATs later in Junior year when most take it and try to get the Ivys, NESCAC, and other HA coaches attention which is much easier said than done. It is a very metric driven process. Good luck!
As always, JMO.
What are the pluses to attending HF as a rising junior? My son is a '22 catcher. Strong academics, been told by baseball people (MiLB coaches and scouts) he could be a D1 player with all the usual caveats. Are the Ivies who attend focused on rising juniors or just rising seniors?
Basically, to get your son on the radar screens of HA D1's...could be some HA D3 powerhouses, also, like JHU, maybe Tufts and Emory. Make sure that you have something to show if you are going to show up early, though.
OskiSD posted:What are the pluses to attending HF as a rising junior? My son is a '22 catcher. Strong academics, been told by baseball people (MiLB coaches and scouts) he could be a D1 player with all the usual caveats. Are the Ivies who attend focused on rising juniors or just rising seniors?
Ivy’s identify prospects Junior year and offer most of their prospects by July-Sept incoming Sr year. They’re known to offer as early as Dec-Jan of Junior year to top recruits who have solid ACT-SAT scores. The Ivy coaches will leverage those top score (33+ ACT) recruits to pick up other top recruits who may only have a 28-29 ACT.
Baseballwise: If you know your son is that good, you want to get him in front of Ivy coaches by the fall of Junior yr. The coaches need to see reps, and a chance to see the player playing top competition. If they know about you in the fall, they’ll see you at club tourneys June-July of incoming Senior yr.
If he’s a position player and determined for a HA D1, it would be worthwhile to attend their individual camps July-Sept of Junior yr. Two days w five coaches watching a talented player like your son would be worth the investment. Strong bats get the attention.
Its really valuable to have the feedback from the Scouts. Make sure it’s not just one Scout blowing smoke.
There are always a few Ivy’s still searching for another stud pitcher or big bat position player in Aug-Oct of Senior year. Know this: the players they are willing to support through admissions will apply ED1 Nov 15.
It’s also helpful to have your club coaches - club owners to reach out on your sons behalf.
Great feedback, thanks. We are indeed thinking of camping at one particular Ivy in the time frame you suggest.
OskiSD posted:What are the pluses to attending HF as a rising junior? My son is a '22 catcher. Strong academics, been told by baseball people (MiLB coaches and scouts) he could be a D1 player with all the usual caveats. Are the Ivies who attend focused on rising juniors or just rising seniors?
Son attended HF as a rising JUNIOR (late summer in Long Island). Prior to this camp he had sent out a number of emails to those in attendance and had sought some of them out during this showcase. He was still in the mindset of going to showcases to get the experience of when he thought they would matter more (the following year). One school he vetted at the time (Bucknell) was still finishing their current (rising senior) recruiting class. This showcase definitely widened his net, especially with HA D3's. HF typically doesn't feature ALL the Ivies. I looked at their schedule this year and each session seems to miss about 3 of the Ivies. Around the same time is Showball (also in NY) which features all 8 Ivy HCs, maybe a good spend if your target is an Ivy.
Now it was about 5 years ago since my son attended. Back then only a few made "early offers" (pre-Junior yr summer). Son's goal was to talk with those he communicated with by email. He was on a "clipboard" for some, but was really added more as a "follow," for others because he was "early" in process. Son runs well, so he attended many showcases for exposure and to get the "lowest 60 time" possible.
So getting back to your question, pluses are exposure, experience and networking. If your son is at the top of his class or better than those older there athletically (in his case POP time and hitting) and has high GPA, it's worth it. At the time 2015 went, Ivies were finalizing their "rising senior" classes with an eye on the class behind them. Times have changed though--Ivy offers are coming earlier, especially for pitchers.
Yes it is important to know that it is an arms race. And I do not mean that about pitchers, I mean one school recruits early and the next one has to do so to keep up. That is what has happened with Ivies and basically everyone. The PG Commitment page does not show all the commitments, especially HA ones as many of the HA ballplayers have not attended PG events. But if you look, you would see that most (I have not checked if all) of the Ivies already have 1-3 commitments for 2020. And those are just the ones listed and done deals while others are in the works and on shortlists. This means with say 7 spots with admissions, most of the Ivies have only a few spots IF ANY remaining for unknown 2020 players. And it is January. They have very limited spots and if you are fishing in that pond, you have to maximize your chances by understanding that the timing matters now just as much as having the requisite scores and grades.
Also not all HA D3 take Ivy leftovers as my good friend Gov said above. What I mean is that is not their only pool. Some schools, MIT comes to mind immediately (but many others are this way too), prefer if you express interest in them early on. And some boys prefer to go to some of these D3 schools over Ivies/D1 because of other reasons (pre-med and engineering can be easier, they know they will play, they flat out like them better etc,). So another good piece of strategic advice if fishing in the top HA ponds is to not fish exclusively with all 8 Ivies. First of all, they are all different schools and unlikely someone would like all 8 equally but that is another thread for another day. What I mean is spread your risk -- DIVERSIFY - and express (your son of course) interest in other HA D1 leagues and those HA D3 schools that also might be a good fit, whether NESCAC, Claremont McKenna/Pomona, MIT, Hopkins, Emory, Grinnell, Babson, W&L, etc. Don't wait until it does not look good with an Ivy to try and get interest from the Patriot League or D3 schools if Ivy is where you might originally prefer.
For HF, I think you want to show present tools -- you can't expect the coaches to project too much. Maybe a little, but not much. So if you go to HF after sophomore year, make sure that the present tool set meets the standards of the target schools.
Regarding early commits, I know of a 2021 position player who committed to an Ivy recently -- the Ivy HC told the player that it was the earliest they had ever committed a player. This particular player had an SEC scholarship offer, so I'm sure that factored into the timing.
My son did HF after junior year. However, he was in regular weekly discussions junior year with his target schools prior to HF. So when he pitched at HF they were watching him.
Regarding standardized test scores and Ivies, it is important to understand that it varies by kid. I don't mean the score itself, but the requirement of the school and the baseball program, based on their needs, their assessment of the player, his grades, even his high school (e.g., known for academics by admissions or not), etc. My son did a UV at an Ivy Sept of junior year and he was told by that particular school that he needed a 28 on the ACT, but they might be able to swing it with a 27. He did a UV in January of junior year at a different Ivy and was told not to worry about it, the quote was "we'll just balance him out with some kid with a 36," but when we pressed the coach said a 27 but a 26 could work. (He didn't end up committing to either of those schools). He ended up taking the ACT just once, in February of junior year, and that timing worked out OK for him. Also, FWIW, HPY tend to be a bit higher in their requirements than the others, but again, it will depend on a lot of factors.
Also, I'll echo Gov's comment about the AZ Junior Fall Classic. The 2021 MIF I mentioned above went 2B, 3B, Grand Slam in three at bats in a game there in front of a lot of coaches (including Ivy) and that really helped him. The second UV I mentioned above came from my son having a great game at the plate in front of ~25 coaches against a pitcher who later signed with a Big West school.
My son (2020) played in the Junior Fall Classic and then did HeadFirst in Arizona the following weekend. That proved to be a great combo and generated a lot of interest and contact with coaches. The HeadFirst camp format is exceptional. If attending as a junior, I highly encourage to have ACT and/or SAT scores going into the fall. My son took both at the end of sophomore year which still gives him plenty of time to improve his scores, if needed.
Great input here. If not already mentioned, there is also a Showball Head Coach High academic showcase. Contributors here debate the merits of each, but generally speaking they are both highly regarded.
My 2019 son attended the Headfirst camp in Long Island, NY twice - summer entering Junior year and last summer entering Senior year. I would wait until summer before Junior year as the sophomores don't get much attention. Unless you really have measurables that are at the top of his grade level and he's talking with an Ivy, for example - then it may be worth it to get in front of them. HF is a well run camp, but it is a bit of a "meet market" - you'll want tyour son to establish some sort of relationship with the targeted coaches before attending. Prepare your son for that. Lot of student athletes have had success there. Unfortunately for us, my son was not terribly intersted in the schools at HF that were interested in him (ain't that life LOL). So I will be contacting HF for a refund. Kidding.
One caveat re: back to back camps/showcases: they’re intense and can tire your kid out. Maybe a week between is okay but because of our travel plans one summer we only had a day or two between events and it was not a good plan for my kid. YMMV.
A piece of advice regarding GPA ...
There isn’t a standard for weighted GPA. When you mention weighted GPA with a coach you might as well be talking a foreign language. When talking with coaches a better response is ...
i have an unweighted 3.7. I’m 20th in a class of 650. It places me in the top 3% of my class. I’m taking 4 AP and 4 high honors courses. My SAT/ACT (or PSAT) score is 1350.
If it’s more than he wants to know he will stop you.
If you haven’t taken the SAT/ACT yet tell them when you’re planning to take them.
smokeminside posted:One caveat re: back to back camps/showcases: they’re intense and can tire your kid out. Maybe a week between is okay but because of our travel plans one summer we only had a day or two between events and it was not a good plan for my kid. YMMV.
My mileage did vary! 2018 kinda hated Showball...the turf, color of his uniform, coach access...OK, he didn't hit too well. We then went right into HF and he killed it, running fast times, hitting, and looking very good in the cage. He basically used Showball as dress rehearsal for HF.
I do know of players who had more success with Showball, though. I strongly suggest that a player makes contact with coaches before they hit any showcase, rather than going in cold.
RJM posted:A piece of advice regarding GPA ...
There isn’t a standard for weighted GPA. When you mention weighted GPA with a coach you might as well be talking a foreign language. When talking with coaches a better response is ...
i have an unweighted 3.7. I’m 20th in a class of 650. It places me in the top 3% of my class. I’m taking 4 AP and 4 high honors courses. My SAT/ACT (or PSAT) score is 1350.
If it’s more than he wants to know he will stop you.
If you haven’t taken the SAT/ACT yet tell them when you’re planning to take them.
Not saying you are wrong (b/c I don't know), but this surprises me. I know kids with near 4.0 averages--but who are taking several classes a year or two behind their nominal grade level. I know other kids who might be earning A-minuses (3.7), but taking several course that are accelerated a full grade level. Based on "unweighted GPA" the kid in remedial classes is doing better. That's why schools give greater weight to Honors, AP and IB classes. And grade inflation being what it is, a whole lot of kids get As (and most of the rest get Bs) in whatever classes they take. A junior with a 3.8 in a 9th grade-level math class is not doing better than his classmate with a 3.6 in AP Calculus.
Mentioning class rank does help solve this, for sure But my kids' school (like a lot of others) doesn't rank.
57 Special is right: imperative that coaches know a few weeks ahead of time that you're going to be there, and that they've seen enough good video to entice them to focus on your kid. There will be at least another 100 kids there.
Chico Escuela posted:RJM posted:A piece of advice regarding GPA ...
There isn’t a standard for weighted GPA. When you mention weighted GPA with a coach you might as well be talking a foreign language. When talking with coaches a better response is ...
i have an unweighted 3.7. I’m 20th in a class of 650. It places me in the top 3% of my class. I’m taking 4 AP and 4 high honors courses. My SAT/ACT (or PSAT) score is 1350.
If it’s more than he wants to know he will stop you.
If you haven’t taken the SAT/ACT yet tell them when you’re planning to take them.
Not saying you are wrong (b/c I don't know), but this surprises me. I know kids with near 4.0 averages--but who are taking several classes a year or two behind their nominal grade level. I know other kids who might be earning A-minuses (3.7), but taking several course that are accelerated a full grade level. Based on "unweighted GPA" the kid in remedial classes is doing better. That's why schools give greater weight to Honors, AP and IB classes. And grade inflation being what it is, a whole lot of kids get As (and most of the rest get Bs) in whatever classes they take. A junior with a 3.8 in a 9th grade-level math class is not doing better than his classmate with a 3.6 in AP Calculus.
Mentioning class rank does help solve this, for sure But my kids' school (like a lot of others) doesn't rank.
I think the weighted GPA issue is the result of different schools using different formulas to establish it, so even with the same rigor and grades, a kid at one school may have a higher GPA than a kid at another school.
I also think that's why the ACT/SAT score is so important: the numbers mean the same thing to everyone, for better or worse.
Chico Escuela posted:RJM posted:A piece of advice regarding GPA ...
There isn’t a standard for weighted GPA. When you mention weighted GPA with a coach you might as well be talking a foreign language. When talking with coaches a better response is ...
i have an unweighted 3.7. I’m 20th in a class of 650. It places me in the top 3% of my class. I’m taking 4 AP and 4 high honors courses. My SAT/ACT (or PSAT) score is 1350.
If it’s more than he wants to know he will stop you.
If you haven’t taken the SAT/ACT yet tell them when you’re planning to take them.
Not saying you are wrong (b/c I don't know), but this surprises me. I know kids with near 4.0 averages--but who are taking several classes a year or two behind their nominal grade level. I know other kids who might be earning A-minuses (3.7), but taking several course that are accelerated a full grade level. Based on "unweighted GPA" the kid in remedial classes is doing better. That's why schools give greater weight to Honors, AP and IB classes. And grade inflation being what it is, a whole lot of kids get As (and most of the rest get Bs) in whatever classes they take. A junior with a 3.8 in a 9th grade-level math class is not doing better than his classmate with a 3.6 in AP Calculus.
Mentioning class rank does help solve this, for sure But my kids' school (like a lot of others) doesn't rank.
You must have missed the part where I stated explain the level of courses you’re talking.
A 3.7 at one high school might be the same as a 4.2 or a 4.7 in another high school. It makes stating weighted GPA useless.
smokeminside posted:One caveat re: back to back camps/showcases: they’re intense and can tire your kid out. Maybe a week between is okay but because of our travel plans one summer we only had a day or two between events and it was not a good plan for my kid. YMMV.
This 100%!! We actually backed out of a few events we committed to this past summer. I think this turned off some coaches , based on some of the outreach they had with my son, but his arm health was more important.
Worked out in the end, but it's tough when coaches ask you to add events/sessions, as their interest grows.
RJM posted:Chico Escuela posted:RJM posted:You must have missed the part where I stated explain the level of courses you’re talking.
A 3.7 at one high school might be the same as a 4.2 or a 4.7 in another high school. It makes stating weighted GPA useless.
Your statement is, word for word, also true of unweighted GPAs. Their import varies from school to school. An unweighted GPA conveys no additional information, no more pertinent information--it's just a different number. The relevant info is what scale you are using, the rigor of the schedule and the quality of the school. Unweighted GPAs convey literally no additional information about any of those factors.
