Why you shouldn't raise your kids in Texas

[Anonymous]

Texas has something known as the top 10% rule. It means that kids with a dropout rate in their high schools that hovers around 43% Will get into college before your kid no matter the race.

Further a lot of Texas schools weigh AP classes the same as leveL classes.

if you are the top of your class amongst 2,000 in an affluent community you have the same chance of getting into a college as some hick from Diball that can't read well. My high school had to do away with Valedictorian because so many students had perfect GPA and 1600 SAT scores.

[dangerDoge]

I actually don't mind the top 10% rule. It is important to note that for some schools, like UT Austin, the percentage is like top 7% now, but moving on...

-- I would argue that the top 10% is still pretty smart, even if it is a "lower quality" school. When you take a bunch of people and pick the top 10%, you are still going to get a generally smart group. Even if the high school wasn't that great, tbh much of high school doesn't really help with college. Many of the intro classes for things teach you what you need to know. Yeah-- there's math and stuff, but still. For example, I did computer science and learned what I needed to from my intro class.

-- Another point is that getting into the school doesn't mean you'll stay in. If the high school was really THAT bad and the student was THAT dumb, they'll flunk out of college and/or drop out. Top 10% doesn't even mean you'll get into your major which will turn away some people right off the start.

-- There are spots open for non top 10%-ers as well. Granted for your school, 1600 is alright but not great (assuming you are going out of the full 2400?). However, many people with scores like that often get CAP'd or put into a sibling school where they can transfer into the main campus later on. If a student got something crazy like perfect SAT scores at your school, chances are they wouldn't even go to a public university. They'd probably go for Rice if anything... and the top 10% rule doesn't apply there. Heck, with perfect SAT scores you can go to almost anywhere xD

-- I would argue that the top 10% rule also motivates many in high schools to make the top 10%. Even many of my friends who had struggled freshman year took sophomore year very seriously to work to get into top 10%.

-- Many high schools, from what I've seen, treat AP classes with weighted scales. Rather, they give more GPA points towards honors classes vs levels.

-- To say college admission would be fair without 10% would be a stretch at best anyway. I knew some people in high school. One of them was a white girl (races matter in it) who took all levels classes, had a bad GPA/sat/act, and didn't do extra curricular. Her family was rich. I knew a guy who had high GPA, just out of top 10%, Asian, did sports/extracurriculars. Family was middle class. Girl got accepted, guy rejected. At least with the top 10% they are *attempting* to pick smart people, rather than just rich.

I see what you are trying to say and the point you are making though. :)