In my daughter’s high school (one of the top 10 in TX), they give you bonus points for taking pre-AP and AP courses (about 15% and 30%, respectively), on the theory that these are harder than regular high school classes. So, in theory, you can get 130% in a class - and that is important with regard to class rank. There is another school in my daughter’s district where if you don’t have at least a 105 average, you don’t stand a chance of getting into good colleges (because the colleges know very well what is going on at each high school).
As for Hogg, I’d bet that his 4.1 makes him perhaps in the top 30% - 40%. The area around there is quite well-to-do, suggesting not only more intelligent parents (on average, of course - and having NOTHING to do with their political intelligence), but also a lot of paid tutoring for the little Johnnies and Marys so that they get into the best colleges.
SAT in the 1200s doesn’t distinguish anyone, unless you’re 7 feet tall.