Be Sure to Check Your Facts!
Perhaps you have viewed social media posts using the headline, “We Are the Top Ranked School in Nebraska.” However, if you are looking at high school rankings on a website, you really should look a little deeper. Headlines, as well as rankings sites, may be deceiving.
Many of these online rankings sites state that their findings are based upon on onerous analysis of statistics and millions of reviews. Don’t believe it. Ranking sites also may include ACT scores, student-teacher ratio, and other data that looks genuine.
When a person actually clicks through some of these websites, one can see that the individual rankings are not based on millions of reviews, but only on just a few. For example, the second ranked Catholic high school in Nebraska on one of the sites has a reported average ACT score of 28. Sounds great, right? However, that statistic is actually based upon only 29 reviews, not millions of reviews. In reality, on some sites, parents and students fill out surveys for a chance to win a scholarship. They can put any ACT score in the survey. It can be easy to falsify information because the information is not double checked. If I want my child’s school to appear exceptional, perhaps I will enter a “33” as my son’s ACT score, when in fact, he received a 23.
Another scenario could be that the school may only ask people who have children with a high ACT score to do a review and enter ACT scores. To get an accurate ranking, every single ACT score needs to be factored into results, and that just does not happen. Beware!
The statistics shown on many of these sites are open to doubt. The sites often do not take the time to contact every school and ask for their average ACT score and other data. Indeed, most private schools do not share ACT information. The individual stats reported for particular schools are often based upon a very small number of parents and students who have filled out reviews.
Gross Catholic High School has purposely chosen not to participate in the rankings found on these sites. Most of them rank according to a very small sample. We feel that these sites are very misleading and inaccurate. We believe that if a person really wants to find out about us, all they need to do is pay us a visit!
We don’t need a ranking website to tell us about the quality of our school. We rank our school number one and are very proud to be the Gross Catholic Cougars!
We have a high ACT average. 14% of current Gross Catholic seniors received a 30 or better on the ACT.
The parents and students of Gross Catholic are highly satisfied and feel that students receive a phenomenal education. In point of fact, 15% of the class of 2017 received full tuition offers from colleges.
We have a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. An overwhelming percentage of our students either attend college or other post-secondary education after they graduate, or go on to military service. Without a doubt, we are a great school.
The next time you read a headline, be sure to drill down deep and find out what is really going on.
About Gross Catholic
Gross Catholic is one of Nebraska’s premier private Catholic high schools. Founded by the Marianists, Gross Catholic is recognized locally for its outstanding education, welcoming atmosphere, competitive sports programs, engaging activities, robust faith, and boundless service work. Founded in 1968, Gross Catholic has energized the Omaha area with excellence for nearly 50 years.
Gross Catholic recently received the KVSS Radio Superstar School Award and the Omaha World-Herald Omaha’s Choice award for private schools.
We believe Gross Catholic is the best high school on the planet!
Learn More About Attending Gross Catholic