At most high schools, classes are divided into regular, honors/advanced and AP levels, with only the more advanced coming with a GPA boost. But, Shorecrest stands out. The school doesn’t have “regular” classes at all. Instead, every standard course is labeled College Prep, reflecting a curriculum designed to prepare students for college-level work.

    Until this year, only Honors and AP classes weighted GPAs, with Honors providing a 0.5-point bump and AP classes a full point. College Prep courses, though often considered rigorous and fast-paced, received no extra weighting at all.

     This year, Shorecrest decided to give these College Prep classes the recognition some felt they deserved. As of this fall, students enrolled in these classes receive a 0.25-point GPA boost. That means an A, which previously counted as a 4.0, now counts as a 4.25.

     According to the Director of College Counseling Myra Simpson, the decision was made to reflect the rigor of Shorecrest College Prep classes. She said, “The name we were placing on these classes is College Prep, but they really are courses that have rigorous demands that deserve more recognition in terms of the GPA boost.”

     Before this year, College Prep courses had no GPA bump, and administrators found that problematic.

     “When we looked at GPAs and compared ourselves to other schools, we realized our College Prep classes are more challenging and more rigorous than if you went to a lot of other places,” Assistant Head of Upper School and US Academic Dean Anne Michelle Frey said.

     The adjustment aims to recognize the effort many students put into these classes and reduce the pressure to overload on Honors or AP courses just for the GPA advantage.    

     “I hope it makes it so that students are really focused on picking the class that’s best for them, not worrying so much about the GPA difference,” Frey said. “We want students to think, for example, ‘Maybe College Prep Chemistry is the better fit for me,’ and that it’s not going to make that big of a difference in terms of GPA.”

      For many students, the change is validating, though some wish it would’ve come sooner.

     “I’ve taken a few regular classes that were really hard, honestly just as hard as some Honors ones,” junior Caitlin Smith said. “So it kind of sucks that we didn’t get the GPA boost before. But I’m happy that people now get credit for how hard those classes are.”  

     Still, some upperclassmen can’t help but feel a little left behind. Because the change only applies as of this fall, past College Prep grades won’t be re-weighted, meaning juniors and seniors won’t see the full benefits reflected in their transcripts.  

      Even so, many agree the policy is a positive step forward. It not only acknowledges the rigor of Shorecrest’s College Prep program, but also ensures that future students get the credit they deserve, no matter their course level.                                                  

     “I think it’s kind of a reflection of the rigor of the courses and our academic program, and wanting to acknowledge that rigor…What we’re seeing is that, when we looked at the depth, expectations and requirements of those courses, they really did represent… courses that have more rigorous demands that deserved more recognition,” Simpson said.