In This Article
Overview
EddyAI™ identifies the single most advanced course a student completed in each of five subject areas on a high school transcript: foreign language, mathematics, science, social studies, and English. For each subject it returns two fields: the course code exactly as printed on the transcript and the course title exactly as printed. Both fields always refer to the same course.
Note
If no course in a subject appears on the transcript, both fields are returned empty. If the course appears but no code is printed next to it, only the code field is empty and the title is still returned.
General ranking rules
Every subject applies the same three-step logic. Courses are grouped into progression tiers, ordered within a tier by rigor, and then resolved by tie-breakers if two courses remain equal.
| Step | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Progression | A higher sequence number or a later course in the standard sequence outranks a lower one (I < II < III < IV; Algebra I < Geometry < Algebra II). | Spanish III outranks Spanish II |
| 2. Rigor | At the same progression tier: Regular < Honors / Pre-AP < Dual Enrollment < AP / IB. An AP or IB designation outranks a higher-numbered regular course. | AP Spanish Language outranks Spanish IV |
| 3. Tie-breakers | If two courses are equal in tier and rigor, the course from the most recent term wins; then the course placed later in the typical grade-level sequence. | Two senior electives: the later semester wins |
- Completed courses only: Only courses with a final grade or earned credit are eligible. In-progress, withdrawn, and audited courses are skipped.
- Repeats: A repeated course counts once, at the same tier as the original.
- Honors: Honors outranks Regular within a tier but never moves a course up a tier.
Foreign language
Rank within a single language first. If the student studied more than one language, choose the language with the higher terminal tier, then apply rigor as a tie-breaker.
| Tier | Courses (lowest to highest within tier) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Level I | Introductory |
| Tier 2 | Level II | |
| Tier 3 | Level III | Honors III outranks Regular III |
| Tier 4 | Level IV | Honors IV outranks Regular IV |
| Tier 5 | Level V, Level VI, Pre-AP or Honors V+ | Rare; ranks above Level IV |
| Tier 6 | AP Language and Culture; IB Language B (SL) | AP/IB outranks any numbered level |
| Tier 7 | AP Literature and Culture; IB Language B (HL); IB Language A | Highest tier |
Tie-breakers and special cases
- Heritage or native-speaker tracks (for example, "Spanish for Spanish Speakers II") map to the same numbered tier as the standard track.
- American Sign Language is treated as a foreign language and follows the same level progression.
- Culture, conversation, or travel electives without a level number rank below Level I unless labeled AP or IB.
Mathematics
Mathematics follows a well-defined national sequence. Statistics sits on a side branch and is ranked against the main sequence as shown.
| Tier | Courses (lowest to highest within tier) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Pre-Algebra; Math 8; Foundations of Algebra | Below high school credit level |
| Tier 2 | Algebra I; Integrated Math 1 | |
| Tier 3 | Geometry; Integrated Math 2 | |
| Tier 4 | Algebra II; Integrated Math 3; Statistics (non-AP); Financial Algebra | Non-AP Statistics ranks here |
| Tier 5 | Trigonometry; Algebra III; College Algebra | |
| Tier 6 | Pre-Calculus; Pre-Calculus Honors; Math Analysis; AP Precalculus | AP Precalculus ranks at the top of the tier |
| Tier 7 | Calculus (non-AP); AP Statistics; IB Math AI (SL) | AP Statistics ranks here, below AP Calculus |
| Tier 8 | AP Calculus AB; IB Math AA (SL); IB Math AI (HL); Dual Enrollment Calculus I | |
| Tier 9 | AP Calculus BC; IB Math AA (HL); Dual Enrollment Calculus II | |
| Tier 10 | Multivariable Calculus; Linear Algebra; Differential Equations | Highest tier; usually dual enrollment |
Tie-breakers and special cases
- Integrated Math 1, 2, and 3 map directly to Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II.
- Consumer Math, Business Math, and Math Models rank at Tier 1 unless the transcript indicates Algebra II credit.
Science
Science is less strictly sequential than math, so rigor carries more weight. A second-year course (for example, Chemistry II) outranks a first-year course in any discipline.
| Tier | Courses (lowest to highest within tier) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Physical Science; Earth Science; Integrated Science; 9th-grade Environmental Science | Introductory |
| Tier 2 | Biology | Honors Biology outranks Biology |
| Tier 3 | Chemistry | Honors Chemistry outranks Chemistry |
| Tier 4 | Physics; Anatomy and Physiology; Marine Biology; Forensic Science; Astronomy | Upper-level electives rank with Physics |
| Tier 5 | Any Course II (Biology II, Chemistry II, Physics II); Dual Enrollment science | |
| Tier 6 | AP Environmental Science; IB Environmental Systems (SL) | Lowest AP science |
| Tier 7 | AP Biology; AP Chemistry; AP Physics 1; AP Physics 2; IB Biology, Chemistry, Physics (SL) | Equal rank; tie-breakers apply |
| Tier 8 | AP Physics C (Mechanics or E&M); IB Biology, Chemistry, Physics (HL) | Highest tier |
Tie-breakers and special cases
- Within Tier 7, the most recently completed course wins; if taken in the same term, Physics, then Chemistry, then Biology.
- Agriculture, health, and technology courses count only when the transcript classifies them as science credit.
Social studies
Social studies uses typical grade-level placement (9th through 12th) as its progression, with AP and IB courses ranked above the full regular sequence.
| Tier | Courses (lowest to highest within tier) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | World Geography; Civics; Global Studies | Typically 9th grade |
| Tier 2 | World History; Global History I/II | Honors outranks Regular |
| Tier 3 | US History; American History | Honors outranks Regular |
| Tier 4 | Government; Economics; Participation in Government; combined Government and Economics | Typically senior year |
| Tier 5 | Dual Enrollment social science; Psychology or Sociology (non-AP) | |
| Tier 6 | AP Human Geography; AP Psychology | Entry-level AP |
| Tier 7 | AP World History; AP US History; AP European History; IB History (SL) | |
| Tier 8 | AP US Government; AP Comparative Government; AP Macroeconomics; AP Microeconomics; IB History (HL); IB Economics | Highest tier |
Tie-breakers and special cases
- State-specific course names map to the tier of their national equivalent (for example, New York "Global History and Geography" is Tier 2 and "Participation in Government" is Tier 4).
- Within Tier 8, the most recently completed course wins.
English / language arts
English is the most sequential subject: one core course per grade level. Electives do not outrank the core sequence unless they carry AP, IB, or dual enrollment designation.
| Tier | Courses (lowest to highest within tier) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | English I; English 9 | Honors outranks Regular |
| Tier 2 | English II; English 10 | Honors / Pre-AP outranks Regular |
| Tier 3 | English III; English 11; American Literature | Honors outranks Regular |
| Tier 4 | English IV; English 12; British Literature; World Literature (senior) | Honors outranks Regular |
| Tier 5 | Dual Enrollment Composition I/II; College English | |
| Tier 6 | AP English Language and Composition; IB English A (SL) | Typically 11th grade |
| Tier 7 | AP English Literature and Composition; IB English A (HL); AP Seminar / AP Research when credited as English | Highest tier |
Tie-breakers and special cases
- Creative Writing, Journalism, Speech, Debate, and Yearbook are electives and rank below the core course of the same grade.
- If a student completed both AP Language and AP Literature, AP Literature is returned.
What is returned
For each subject, EddyAI returns the code and title of the single highest-ranked course. Values are returned exactly as printed on the transcript with no normalization, so "APCALCAB" and "AP Calculus AB" come through as printed.
| Field pair | Returns |
|---|---|
| Highest Level Foreign Language (code / title) | The highest-ranked foreign language course |
| Highest Level Math (code / title) | The highest-ranked mathematics course |
| Highest Level Science (code / title) | The highest-ranked science course |
| Highest Level Social Studies (code / title) | The highest-ranked social studies course |
| Highest Level English (code / title) | The highest-ranked English course |
Tip
Tier placement can be adjusted for your institution. If your admissions policy ranks a course differently (for example, treating AP Statistics as equal to AP Calculus), contact your EdVisorly implementation team.
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