Choir or Computer Science? A Difficult Decision

As I fill out my course selection sheet for my freshman year at Bellaire High School, I carefully look at all the courses and decide which ones I would take. I first fill out the courses which I’m required to have such as Math and English, but I finally come to the section which lets me independently decide what electives I want to take.

I look at the myriad of options such as art, orchestra, swimming, and theatre classes and truly appreciate that my school provides me the opportunity to take these classes.

But then, I realize the reality I’m in: there are class rankings and weighted classes where most fine art classes are worth four points to your GPA, your grade point average, and classes like Pre-AP Biology are worth five points. The more 5.0 classes you take, the higher your GPA.

It’s important to have a high GPA because it is an important part of the application process; at top universities, over 90 percent of the admitted class was a member of the top 10 percent of their high school class.

One could say “It won’t hurt to take a few 4.0 classes” but in fact, it does. A 0.001 difference in your GPA and the next persons can determine whether or not you get automatic admission to state schools, such as University of Texas.

This is why many students are forced to choose harder classes that they have no interest in, just for the sake of a higher GPA. They don’t get to try new things or pursue their hobbies; they load their schedule with challenging 5.0 classes.

Mr. Scott, a technical theatre instructor, also disagrees with this system explaining that “we {fine art teachers} miss out on a lot of higher achieving students joining our fine arts program because often time GPA is there number one motivation…”

“This causes students to think twice before joining… and I think that can be disappointing for students who want to both achieve academically and artistically…”

Mr. Scott also states that “the only way things are ever going to change is if more students and families speak up… [and] demand something specific, such as the idea of 5.0 classes.”

Hopefully, things will change and students can take 4.0 classes without it affecting their GPA. But this can only happen if we, the students, stand up to this unjust system.