Saint John Vianney High School has officially changed its grading scale. Rather than being graded on a seven point scale, students are now going to be graded on a ten point scale. With the new grading scale getting an A will give students more credit for the work they are doing, with the required grade for an A being 90-100, instead of the previous 93-100.

Before, the grading scale was inconsistent with that of most public schools and colleges. Therefore, when a college would receive transcripts from the school, they would have to interpret our grading scale, which could make grades appear to be lower than they actually are. Therefore, in order to ensure that students have the best chance possible to get into their preferred school, the scale was changed.

Another advantage to the new grading scale is that it gives us the opportunity to earn a higher GPA, which is important for all students applying to colleges, especially for those looking to get into an Ivy League school. For many students, this change could make a big difference especially when it comes to getting into their first choice for college. However, the new scale is only being implemented for this school year and on. According to an official statement from Saint John Vianney, “grades and GPAs from the past will not be changed.”

When asked how the new grading scale would affect the rest of their schooling, sophomores Amanda Melchiorri and Jackie Ballarino both agreed that it was going to impact their grades in a positive way. Melchiorri  explained that she felt this grading scale is “more appropriate” because it coincides with the same scale as colleges. Ballarino stated that she feels there is going to be less stress on students because it gives them more room for slight error. She explained that “with a seven point scale each assignment has to be close to perfect, but with the ten point scale it gives students a little more room to make a mistake.”

Mrs. Shalkowski, school guidance counselor, stated “It is definitely going to be positive because of the opportunity it offers students to do better.” Shalkowski stated, “In order to fully prepare students for college the grading system has to be consistent with colleges.” She explained that consistency with colleges was one of the only reasons we made the switch to the ten-point scale and to prevent the “inflation” of our GPAs. This change is expected to have a positive impact on students at Saint John Vianney by not only helping students obtain the grades they deserve, but also by preparing them for college.