<p>I'm applying to very selective schools, and I'm in a 850 person class. Due to medical issues and having a slow freshman year, my gpa is probably in the lower area of the top 10 percent. however, my school does not send rankings out to colleges. But there are kids with way higher GPAs than me who are amongst like the top 5 or so kids in my grade (who are th only ones who get told their ranking) applying to the same schools as me; I'm just afraid that since schools won't see rank and only have those super super high kinds of grades to compare with mine, they'll assume I fall lower in my class than I actually do.</p>
<p>However, my school does send class rank to certain state colleges that want to know it for their merit scholarship programs. They stated that people who get these are in the top 10% of their class. I got one, so it's basically confirmed at this point. Would it be a bad idea for me to message the admissions officers at the schools I'm applying to about knowing I'm in the top 10% because of my scholarship, or will they disregard it since it's coming out of the applicant's mouth and not the guidance counselor?</p>
<p>I faced a similar situation when I applied for colleges back in the day.</p>
<p>Here’s what I suggest. Since you don’t know absolutely-definitely-100%-for-sure that you are actually in the top 10% (since you don’t know your rank exactly), you should reach out to your guidance counselor to try to confirm that percentile before thinking about sharing it with colleges.</p>
<p>My high school officially didn’t rank, excepting the top two, although after graduation, the school would confirm the rankings to state schools for similar reasons as in your case (eg. scholarships, verification of graduation, etc.).</p>
<p>I reached out to my college guidance counselor and explained that even though the school didn’t rank, I was really curious about where I stood…and she told me. She also told me where I stood after graduation. So, it’s worth a try reaching out to your guidance counselor, and then pleading the case for her sharing it with your colleges. Explain the comparative disadvantage you perceive–but be prepared for him or her to refuse your request. If that happens, you might just have to let it go. </p>
<p>If your grades are lower than the individuals in the top 5 who are ranked and are also applying to the same top schools, you will still be less strong academically, by comparison…so your percentile ranking might not even make that much of a difference if you’re only concerned about being compared to peers who are also applying. If you’re in the top ten percent, you’re probably close enough for it not to make much of a difference anyway. You’d still be a very strong candidate.</p>
<p>Finally, don’t forget that college admissions boils down to more than just the numbers. What if one of the top 5-ers wrote a lousy personal statement and has less to offer on his/her resume? It might not matter if their grades are better than yours.</p>
<p>But that’s the thing…there is quite a large disparity between my gpa and the top 5 kids, but theres also a huge disparity between mine and the 90% below me…but the only people they’ll have in comparison are the kids at the top 5 out of my massive massive class size I’m confident about other parts of my app, but I feel like it’d help me a lot if they understoodwhere I actually stand within the context of my class…I asked my guidance counselor today, and she insisted that because she checked “most rigorous courseload” they should understand that once grades are weighted i qualify to be high in rankings…she also said she doesnt know my ranking and its a different department that gave the scholarship college the kids rankings. I even asked her if I could know after decisions are out, and we graduated, just because I really am curious /exactly/ where I stand, but she insisted if they did that, it would come off as lying to the colleges that were told the school doesn’t rank at all…</p>
<p>I mean I know for sure I’m less strong academically, but I did have extenuating medical circumstances throughout the years which she explained to them…it’s just I feel like if they knew I was in the top 10% they’d see I wasn’t completely awful working with it, despite my massive load of b’s</p>
<p>MY school profile gives absolutely no hint to how the distribution of grades at my school are…I’ve seen it. No talk of GPA whatsoever other than does not rank…</p>
<p>My sat is above 2300 single sitting first try…my subject scores are all above 760.,but I hear most colleges put those far behind transcripts and school context anyway :/</p>
<p>i dunno about ‘school context’ but they can help your transcript out. unis know that transcripts are subjective, and a 3.7 at a very strong school could easily be better than a 4.0 at an average one. That’s where they use subject tests and SATs to gauge you on a level platform and help give your transcript more weight.</p>
<p>least i hope they do since my grades are all crap since i go to an extremely strong school in Australia but still came top 4% of the state in the set of exams used for unis here and got a 2270 SAT and 800 MAth II, 760 chem.</p>
I’m confident about other parts of my app, but I feel like it’d help me a lot if they understoodwhere I actually stand within the context of my class…I asked my guidance counselor today, and she insisted that because she checked “most rigorous courseload” they should understand that once grades are weighted i qualify to be high in rankings…she also said she doesnt know my ranking and its a different department that gave the scholarship college the kids rankings. I even asked her if I could know after decisions are out, and we graduated, just because I really am curious /exactly/ where I stand, but she insisted if they did that, it would come off as lying to the colleges that were told the school doesn’t rank at all…</p>