<p>I've read there are about 26,000 high schools in the U.S. Let's assume that about 25% of them have co-Valedictorians and co-Salutatorians. That would mean there are about 26,000<em>1.25 Vals, and 26,000</em>1.25 Sals. That's about 65,000 1s and 2s in the country.</p>
<p>I don't think it is hard to fill the incoming classes at Amherst, Stanford, Duke, Williams, Penn, et.al. with very high percentages of 1s and 2s with 65,000 to draw from.</p>
<p>The entire freshman classes at the top 10 UNIs and top 10 LACs probably sum to less than 30,000, which still leaves over half the 1s and 2s with no home at a top 10 UNI or LAC.</p>
<p>As far as rank, my school doesn't...but they do deciles. My counselor said I'm top 1% but although I know that's good, what is it equivalent to? (eg. is it top 10% class rank or what?)</p>
<p>I was wondering because I don't really know what exactly deciles are. Anyone care to enlighten me? Oh and the 10% was just for the sake of an example.</p>
<p>What about students in small classes? (My graduating class will have around 40 students). Do they judge your rank differently based on size also?</p>
<p>well i think it comes down more to what grades were achieved in what classes, im in the top 15% of my class, but i have a very difficult courseload, but htere are some with 4.0s that have taken only the required classes to graduate, colleges look at this, as well as how prestigious of a high school it is, top 5% might be needed if youre from nowhere arizona, but if you go to say Exeter academy(best high school in the country), top 25% is good enough for pretty much anywhere</p>
<p>So if you are an unhooked applicant would being like 13 out of 476 be too low? Assuming that everything else is fine.
My school is not particularly competive, it is in an upper/middle middle class area.</p>
<p>fwiw: I've read on cc that there are 35,000 high schools in the US....and, don't forget, the rest of the world.</p>
<p>hmom: Michelle Hernandez also wrote that top couple in a small high school class say, 35, is definitely not the same as the top couple in a class of 500+ at a competitive HS. Thus, it depends.</p>
<p>I think they just use it to see where you are approximately. Are you in the bottom 50%? no way. Top 10-20% in small school vs top 5-10% in a large school can mean a big difference. Top 30-40%...probably not no matter the high school. (w/out hook).</p>
<p>college3231 wrote: "What about students in small classes? (My graduating class will have around 40 students). Do they judge your rank differently based on size also?"</p>
<p>That is why rank is normally given as a %, and not a whole number. With #1/Valedictorian, one never knows if that #1 would still have been #1 if the school had 80, or 200 or 500 graduates. However, at #2, there is a huge difference between #2 in a school of 40 vs. # 2 at a school with 400 graduates.... to be exact, top 2.5% vs. top 0.25%</p>
<p>Of equal importance is the possible ability to put that rank in the context of the school's student population. For example, a top 10% at Harvard Westlake (a private school in Los Angeles), is probably equivalent to top 1% at any of the public high schools in nicer areas of LA (Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Palos Verdes, San Marino, etc.)</p>
<p>I'm not sure what an adcom thinks if they aren't familiar with the general caliber of student at an applican'ts High School, and isn't able to contextualize what top 2% <em>means</em> with regard to how that student would compare to a top 10% at a known selective high school. I assume they have a general idea about the quality of work done in various states and counties.</p>
<p>^^Wouldn't your preformance on standarized tests be a way to put your academic achievements in context as well. I mean say if you went to an uncompetitive school and were like 14/400, if you score a 34+/2200+ wouldn't that be validation that you are academically capable? I thought that the academic part was only to determine if you get straight rejected and then they look at your ECs and essays to determine if you get in.</p>
<p>Basing everything on rank can end up like this - several years ago there was this very small school which had boy as val. and another boy as sal. It is common around here to also honor the highest ranked student of the opposite sex so a girl was proudly named in the newspaper "highest ranking girl". Ok, so here comes the college recruiter who's all gung-ho about getting this girl into his school asap and came with a scholarship already in his hand. He never bothered to first find out that the class had all of 6 students and the only girl was severely mentally disabled. Not to get into a discussion about disabilities, just showing how rank isn't everything and the "well rounded" student should be part of the equation. </p>
<p>That's interesting how high schools calculate AP/honors classes for GPA. Ours (no, not the above mentioned school) gives 10 points for AP/dual credit classes. However, PE, fine arts, office aide, etc. isn't included in the GPA.</p>
<p>It bothers me that val/sal can get their ranks by taking easy classes and/or taking off half a day when other students fill their schedules with APs. I remember back in my day, our val had 3 classes her senior year while the rest of us college hopefuls took a full load. BTW, #1 and #2 get full rides at states here. I see the same thing today in D's class with some of the top students just looking to get those extra GPA points. Sure, they're working the system, but I hope adcoms look at this when making decisions.</p>
<p>It's going to get to the point where class rank is a thing of the past. Each year, more and more schools are saying "we don't rank" as kids get more competitive. </p>
<p>And when your school doesn't rank, the highest form of ranking is saying that you're in the top 10%. </p>
<p>Luckily, I made it. I'm 13/180. But I'm tied with 11 kids, so I should be 3/180. The annoying this is that out of those 11, I'm the one that has taken the most APs (but in my school, an honors and AP is weighted the same). But then again, I shouldn't be complaining because I'm still top 10%.</p>
<p>Within top 2-3 percent in public schools... Top 10-15 in the really good private schools... This is for Ivies... </p>
<p>and don't be mistaken... the vast majority of students don't consider top colleges, let alone college at all... The valedictorian and salutatorian of our school has never applied to anywhere remotely top 15 in the last 10 years... though being valedictorian gets you a full four year scholarship at CSU Long Beach... </p>
<p>We have to see this from a national perspective... I heard half of US schools don't even have AP. Rank is probably seen in the context of the larger application, just as scores are and ECs are...</p>
<p>Our school doesn't rank. However, the school profile is printed specifically for the graduating class and lists such things as the number of AP scholars - distinction, NHS members - on up etc. It also lists how many kids are taking AP's and which ones, as well as average SAT, ACT and GPA. All I really know is that when I look at it, I see my son sitting pretty well, but not in the highest of the high. Then again, I know some of those highest kids and like I've said in another thread, they can be as engaging as rocks.</p>
<p>"Then again, I know some of those highest kids and like I've said in another thread, they can be as engaging as rocks."</p>
<p>Oh, I totally agree. Some smart people just fail at having a personality. Usually the smart people tend to be the most well rounded, but I guess not everytime.</p>
<p>I disagree with the the above charcaterization. Many and I mean MANY ppl that i know who are in the top of our class are just normal. They hang out with friends have social lives, and despite popular belief don't spend all their time studying, some people are just smart and should not be derided bc of it.
The concept that because you have perfect grades and perfect SATs that you have to have a dull personality is false and is probably perpetuated by those who do not have high stats and want to make themselves fell better by insulting those who do better than them.</p>