My class rank in high school isn’t “bad” but it isn’t ideal either (66/898). I have VERY strong extra ciriculars, tons of hospital volunteer hours, a decent SAT and ACT score, and I have very good connections with my teachers and counselers so I’m hoping to get solid letters of reccomendations from them. I’ve taken almost every single AP and Honors class available at my high school. I’ve also gotten very well accquainted with the hospital staff that I volunteer with and the volunteer coordinator at the hospital said that she’d be happy to write me a letter of reccomendation to the college(s) of my choice. Does my “poor” class rank bring down the level of my application or do you think it will be okay?
Volunteering at a hospital isn’t a “VERY strong” EC.
What do you even mean? Obviously anything not up to par with the rest of the application will bring the overall strength down. That being said, you have given no ideas as to what type of schools to which you are applying, GPA, ACT, etc. Class rank is not the first consideration at any school I have heard of. It is pretty much impossible to answer this question without more information.
You’re still in the top 10%
Top 10% is not a poor class rank. Find something else to worry about.
It will depend on where you go to high school and what colleges you are applying to. Top 10 percent is quite good, good enough for 98 percent of all colleges. If you are applying to schools like U Chicago, MIT or an Ivy League school and you are not an URM, Legacy or Athlete there is a difference between top 10 percent and top 2 percent of class. If you are going to an exceptional public high school like New Trier or IMSA or a nationally ranked magnet school or a selective private high school class rank is still important but you don’t necessarily need to be in the top few percent
You go to a large school but your rank is good-top 10%. I don’t know many schools where that rank would harm you . Bet you go to an academically strong school too-which helps.
Also “If you are applying to schools like U Chicago, MIT or an Ivy League school and you are not an URM, Legacy or Athlete there is a difference between top 10 percent and top 2 percent of class.”
I know tons of students at these schools who were not URM or Legacy or athlete and who were not in the top 2% of their class.
What is URM?
@hcmom65 Under represented minority in colleges and universities, consisting of African Americans, Latinos, and First Nation/Native Americans/Alaskan Natives who comprise low percentages in those institutions.
Most elite private schools do not rank students at all. Different high schools employ different metrics for ranking. A competitive high school in an affluent community will have so many high-achieving students that the difference between #9 and #99 in a class may be a minuscule fraction of a point, attributable to a single Math test or English project sophomore year. If you are not in California or Texas, where there are automatic admissions for a certain percentile, or applying for some scholarships where rank matters, rank probably won’t be a significant criterion. Which student would you accept: #12, with so-so test scores and lackluster ECs; #20, with strong ECs and high test scores; or #50, who’s a nationally-ranked varsity athlete?
I think it always looks good to be on track for the valedictorian or salutatorian. After that, if there aren’t any specific admissions cutoffs where you’re looking, class rank will not be that critical.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on where those students ranked ahead of you are applying, in case you’d be in direct competition with them.