<p>My school is only semi-competitive, sending less than 3-4 students to top schools each year. This year was the first year we sent more than 4 to top schools. Our grades tend to be inflated with half the students in honors classes getting straight A's. Thus, our class rank is randomized, and no one is told how it is calculated. I'm worried about what this will mean when I apply to colleges. I know I will not be in the top ten (out of about 350), but I'm aiming for the top 20. With my school set up the way it is, will this hurt my chances of getting into one of my top college choices? I'm looking at Wellseley, Mount Holyoke, and maybe Brandeis.</p>
<p>Yes. but a inflated unweighted gpa will make up for it</p>
<p>What do you mean by randomized? That sounds like it could hurt you. My school has grade inflation too but we just compensate by having seven valedictorians.</p>
<p>Well you are in a better place then me my school dose not give out class rank till the day before school ends. It is a “tradition” .we have never had a ivy league student ether.</p>
<p>Sent from my iPhone using CC</p>
<p>My school does not rank at all.</p>
<p>By randomized I mean that it is common knowledge that more than two people have exactly the same weighted GPA but are listed differently in the class rank. The school will not tell anyone how they decide this.</p>
<p>I dont think colleges even know about you rank/care. I mean, they tend to care about weighted and unweighted gpa, which will, in turn, decide your rank, but I’m not sure the rank on its own is too important. </p>
<p>I dont know how many kids got into what schools in the class of 2012 but 2 girls (valedictorian and salutatorian) got into MIT and Harvard (and the girl who got into MIT also got into Stanford). We no doubt had a handfull (15+) go to UNC, Wake Forest, and Duke.</p>
<p>I don’t know if my school ranks, but I hope not, because my school is full of geniuses which means that for the smart ones, rank is by hundredths of points (1-100 system). The val and sal this year were each six-hundredths of a point apart. It was scary. The smart but non-geniusistical (and non-obsessive) ones, like me, end up in the middle-bottom of the Top 25%. Luckily, I think the colleges know that, so we’re okay.</p>
<p>Same at my school, except our gpa is a little different. Its out of 6 points weighted, if you take a standard class (either standard english or something, or most electives like art are just standard) and get an A you get 4 points, if its honors you get one quality point (A=5) and if its AP you get 2 quality points (6), so basically a C in an AP class is worth and A in a standard class. The two top kids in the last graduating class were neck and neck at around 5.375. I wouldnt say they were geniuses, they got straight A’s all through highschool and took alot of APs, but honestly they were above average smart and spent a lot of time on school. Many people at my school get straight A’s, and most of them take 2 or more APs every year after freshman year… getting in the top 10% isnt too hard as long as you keep straight A’s (and maybe like 1 b or something.) I had a friend who was ranked 8 maybe and had a B, so, not too competitive (also more then one person can be the same rank at my school. Normally val and sal arent tied with anyone though)</p>
<p>I think you would have to work really hard to somehow get a better gpa than most of them. If not then you better pray that not that much people has the same gpa as you.</p>
<p>Yeah, its pretty tough if you’re neck and neck with someone. but honestly I think everyone in the 4-9 rank are considered the same by peers and colleges.</p>
<p>I like how this thread became just about class ranks instead of answering this kids question. </p>
<p>Also, how is rank randomized? How is that fair, and who actually would do it this way? Does everyone take the same amount of courses (and all get straight A+'s if you’re school counts +/-)? Way confusing system, I’m glad mine is so simple and actually benefits alot of students (we dont count +/-, and if you get 0 in a class, it counts the same as a 72 or whatever an F starts at–and colleges cant see what you’re number grade was, so a few 93’s across the board wont look worse then 99’s across the board:)</p>
<p>Our school basically accepts that class rank is unfair, and we just deal with it. I’m starting to think it isn’t that big of a deal, even though college websites say class rank is an “important factor”. But correct me if I’m wrong.</p>
<p>In our school, a B- GPA puts you in the bottom quartile. Huge grade inflation!</p>
<p>My school is semi competitive in higher classes. I am 17/518.(REALLY large public school) I want to get in the top 2%(I’m in the top 3%), but the GPA system is SO close that it’s not uncommon to have the same rank as someone else in your grade. And it gets harder each year because lots of people drop out in the lower classes or move, my freshman year there were like 575ish in my year.</p>
<p>@hopes43 my school too!</p>
<p>You know who I really sympathize with?
The kid ranked last.</p>
<p>I don’t know if there was any grade inflation at my school. I think all of the dumb people failed out or got D’s. My graduating class only had around 130 people, though.</p>