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"If I transferred from a relatively easy high school to a more difficult one, will my slightly lower GPA hurt my chances of getting into college? Will the admission officers realize the difference in quality between the two schools? First of all, you should know that admissions officers do more than just evaluate your raw GPA. They are looking at your cumulative record of academics based on the reputation of the school you attended (public, magnet, private, parochial) and the rigor of your classes (honors, AP, IB, college prep). Admissions officers do their homework in order to understand a student&amp;#039;s achievements within the context of her environment.  Usually, high school counselors will include a one-page overview of your high school along with their recommendation. This sheet typically outlines the types of classes offered, the average test scores of previous classes, and a list of colleges and universities attended by past graduates. This information helps an admission committee understand your achievements in comparison to how other students are performing at your same high school.  However, if you are worried about the slight difference in your GPA, you may want to schedule a meeting with your high school counselor, so that he/she can be sure to comment on your transition in the counselor recommendation. If you don&amp;#039;t have a close relationship with your school counselor, ask a teacher who knows you well to include that information in his/her recommendation letter. There&amp;#039;s a fine line between simply explaining and making excuses for a shift in grades, so it&amp;#039;s always better to have someone else speak on your behalf. However, as a last resort, you may include an additional one-paragraph statement explaining your unique situation and how you&amp;#039;ve handled the transition between the two schools. This shouldn&amp;#039;t take the place of your essay or short answers, and only do this if you feel that your counselor or teachers won&amp;#039;t properly articulate your situation in their recommendations.  And remember, while your academic record is the foundation of your application, a college or university will be taking into account all aspects of your application when considering you for admission, so be sure to highlight your strengths and apply to schools where your academic record falls within the mean of past admitted students. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/life/school/advice/a27775/harder-highschool-cqa-0706/>