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 percent 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 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 report that graduates lack basic workforce skills.

• College professors observe that students struggle with fundamental tasks like thorough reading.

• Parents are surprised when straight-A students face rejection from selective schools, not realizing that an A has become average.

📌 What Students Can Do to Stand Out

The challenge for today’s students is figuring out how to differentiate themselves when everyone seems to have identical transcripts. Many hardworking students respond by piling on academic rigor—taking increasingly heavy course loads. However, this approach can backfire. Taking eleven AP classes might look impressive on paper, but it can:

• Fundamentally change the high school experience

• 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 scored using consistent national criteria. For students with access to these programs, strong scores can serve as more reliable and objective evidence of academic mastery.

Although an “A” may be a weaker signal than it used to be, a 4 or 5 on an AP exam still carries weight. A student who can demonstrate mastery on a nationally normed, criterion-referenced test offers powerful validation of their classroom performance.

🎯 Shift the Focus: From Grades to Mastery

Students navigating this landscape should shift their focus from grade accumulation to genuine learning. Instead of asking, “How can I get an A?” they should be asking, “Am I actually learning this material?”

• Choose depth over breadth by selecting fewer courses in which you can achieve true mastery and strong standardized test performance.

• Rather than retaking tests to improve grades, use that time to reinforce core concepts.

• Seek meaningful extracurricular involvement—choose a few significant commitments instead of many superficial ones.

👪 The Parent’s Role

Parents play a crucial role in helping their children maintain perspective. While it’s natural to want your child to succeed, the definition of success must include happiness, health, and true preparation for future challenges.

Remember:

• Straight A’s don’t guarantee admission to selective colleges.

• The goal isn’t to collect impressive-looking credentials, but to develop real knowledge and lasting skills.

This doesn't mean grades don't matter, or that students should stop working hard. Rather, it means grades should be viewed in context—as just one measure among many.

In an era of grade inflation, objective demonstrations of skill and knowledge carry more weight than ever before. The students who thrive in college and beyond are those who:

• Prioritize mastery

• Maintain their well-being

• Build authentic learning habits that no inflated GPA can replace

Colleges are increasingly focused on students who can succeed in their programs—not just those with perfect transcripts. In a world where an A has become average, the real differentiator is not the grade itself, but the authentic growth and depth of understanding it represents.

By keeping this perspective and focusing on substance over statistics, students and families can better navigate the modern educational landscape while preserving what matters most: genuine education, personal growth, and the foundation for lifelong learning and achievement.

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Garrett Educational Consulting provides comprehensive counseling for college and boarding school admissions as well as academic advisement. Click HERE to learn about our services.

Prepared especially for our clients and their families The information included in this newsletter is generic and assumes no liability for loss or damage due to reliance on the material contained herein. Copyright © 2025 by The College Advisor, Inc. All rights reserved.