By: Tian Yang <[email protected]>

We know there’s been a fair amount of confusion about the new CHS policy on weighted grades, but what students fail to realize is that, according to the counseling center, their grades are sent to colleges both with only school years starting with this one weighted and an unofficial GPA with all four years weighted. College rank is eliminated, which will most likely benefit students, since each class has around 1,000 students. Simply put, it is easy to see how this new system maximizes the full potential of each student’s individual resume.

Since the administration has not fully figured out a tried and true plan for the weighted grades system, the new grades system will work to the advantage of students in virtually every academic situation. According to the same source, the honors, AP and IB students will finally get the appreciated boost in their classes based on the level of difficulty, while those students enrolled in regular classes will have the flexibility to stay on the 4.0 system and maintain their current GPA. This provides a win-win situation for both parties, and only those who choose not to focus on their studies will maintain their possibly low GPA.

While this plan sounds good in theory to most, some students voice the argument that this new system should not eliminate the time-honored reward of the valedictorian title. True, valedictorian is a good word to place on a college resume, but the status is somewhat cheapened at CHS since it seems like every year the number of valedictorians increases. Accordingly, the new system allows for only one Distinguished Scholar, a title based on the culmination of grades and points awarded for social activity and participation. This will select the most well-rounded student in our whole student body.

But, really, much of this justification is unnecessary, because weighted grades are here to stay, like them or not. It’s possible to not like the new system, but it’s very difficult to argue that it isn’t designed for fairness and isn’t the way of the future. More and more schools are converting to a weighted grades system every year, and the moderated path our school has opted for plans to smooth the transition to a virtually painless change.

However, a word to the wary: Just because the AP or IB classes add on valuable GPA points, they will still be difficult. There will most definitely be a few students, perhaps urged by parents or counselors, that will sign up for these advanced courses in hope to boost their GPA only to find that the difficulty of the work is actually making their GPA drop below previous levels.

So what we’re trying to say is this: Enjoy the leniency that the new system is giving in terms of grades. This will help both the socially and academically active, provide a much better chance to boost a college resume and land a spot in a respectable college. And if college isn’t your bag, know that weighted grades will have no effect on yourself, since it only comes into play on college applications.