<p>If I'm ranked first on the original transcript, but slip down one or two spots on the midyear report, does that change my admission chances alot?
& if they offer special scholarship packages to the valedictorian, what rank do they use?</p>
<p>Through my interpretation, and the information I have received from counselors and adcoms; Under EA or ED, decisions are based upon the original transcript. In your case, if you have applied EA or ED, admission officers would view your application and class rank based on the original transcript you provided, which places you at #1. This is my interpretation, again, and may be very wrong for some schools. As far as scholarship packages; Scholarships, in most situations, are rewarded after decisions have been made, along with regards to additional high school transcripts (mid-year second semester reports, etc…), . In this case, I am not fully sure how they determine scholarship packages. Anyway, your drop in class rank does not seem significant. Unless you had a perfect GPA, then there is room for kids to jump ahead of you. Your grades may never have changed, but its possible the one or two kids who passed you, may have improved a couple of their grades, resulting in the change in class rank. If colleges can see it that way, if that proves true, than it may not affect you too much.</p>