class rank vs. upward trend

Applying to College
1

<p>I am not in the top 10% at my high school but I have a rather steep upward trend. I got a 3.7w (3.4uw) my sophomore year but got myself up to a 4.3w (3.9uw) my junior year and a 4.5w (4.0uw) 1st semester of senior year.</p>

<p>As you can see, my first two years are really hurting my rank. But with the help of the last three semesters, I managed to raise my rank to 30/249 (top 12%ish). Would selective schools like Rice, Cornell and Hopkins be prevailed upon to make an exception for my rank? I have high test scores (35 ACT, 800 IIC and 800 on Bio) but am asian.</p>

2

<p>They would certainly note an upward trend. No one element of the application overwhelms everything else. Those schools are reaches for nearly everyone, but they would also spend time looking at the nuances of each app. You have a shot.</p>