As discussed in a recent blog post, grade inflation has exploded in the last several years. This has resulted in grade compression, which means most students’ grades are in the A/B range.
A recent webinar from test prep and tutoring company Applerouth addressed these issues. In it, Jed Applerouth, the company’s founder and an educational psychologist, shared the following data from ACT: in 2010, the average cumulative GPA was 3.22. In 2021, it was 3.39.
Applerouth offered several reasons for grade inflation. For example, at many high schools, students are allowed to retake tests and redo assignments to improve their grades. Some schools have eliminated zeros and the lowest grade a student can get on an assignment is 50%, even if they didn’t turn it in. Some schools don’t penalize students for late work. Thus, an A might not indicate a student’s actual performance.
If you are a straight-A student (or the parent of one), you might think your grades make you competitive for admission to Ivy League and similar colleges. Yet, because so many students now have straight A’s, that is no longer a point of distinction and certainly not a guarantee of admission to such colleges.
Another panelist on the Applerouth webinar was Mary Tipton Wooley, Senior Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission at Georgia Tech, a highly selective university. She explained that the “baseline expectation” at Georgia Tech and similar schools is that you take rigorous courses and get A’s. She said that “gets you into the conversation.” But getting into the conversation does not necessarily mean being admitted.
However, Wooley shared data that seemed to contradict her previous statement. In the 2023-24 admissions cycle, Georgia Tech received applications from 330 students at one of the university’s largest feeder high schools. The average GPA among these applicants was 4.12. Ninety-four of them had straight A’s, yet Georgia Tech did not admit all of those students. In fact, of the 96 students from this high school whom the university admitted, one-third did not have straight A’s.
Wooley explained that at colleges such as Georgia Tech, much of what goes into admissions decisions is outside of applicants’ control. She talked about institutional priorities, an example of which is needing more students in a certain major. (To illustrate this point, she said that among the admitted students from the aforementioned feeder high school who did not have straight A’s, some likely applied to less in-demand majors.) Other institutional priorities may include trying to recruit more low-income students or filling specific positions on an athletic team.
Wooley said a common question from students and families is, “Which is better: an A in a ‘regular’ class or a B in an AP class?” She said the reality at highly selective colleges is that most of the students applying have A’s in AP classes. She noted that 72% of admitted students from the feeder high school took more than ten college-level (AP/IB/Dual Enrollment) classes. She added that if you’re going to apply to highly selective colleges, you need to challenge yourself by taking rigorous courses, do well in those courses, make an impact on those around you, and find schools that are not only a good fit for you but where you’re a good fit for them. Additionally, you need to demonstrate all of that in your application.
Both Applerouth and Wooley pointed out that in the midst of grade inflation, students are trying to distinguish themselves beyond grades, often by taking more rigorous courses. Yet for some, that may be a detriment to their mental health. Students know themselves best, and only they can decide if taking ten or more AP/IB/Dual Enrollment classes and getting straight A’s is feasible for them. If it’s not, don’t fret — there are hundreds, if not thousands of colleges that will be excited to admit you. But, to echo Wooley, you may need to think about other types of colleges (beyond highly selective ones) and broaden your horizons.
In conclusion, to gain admission to colleges like Georgia Tech, do students need straight A’s or not? The answer is maybe. Straight A’s may help you get “into the conversation.” But A’s alone won’t guarantee admission at highly selective colleges. On the other hand, not having straight A’s doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be denied admission to these schools. If you demonstrate other desirable characteristics (you’re interested in a less popular major, you’re a first generation student, or you’re from a rural community, for example) you may, in fact, be admitted.
