<p>Keep in mind that the designation "valedictorian" isn't as cut and dried as it used to be. There are high schools that have dozens of valedictorians: everyone with all As, everyone about a certain GPA, everyone making high honor roll for four years, etc.</p>
<p>On the other end of the scale, there are some high schools (many of the national preps, NYC exam schools, etc.) where a class rank in the top 10% of the class is a very impressive accomplishment.</p>