<p>The issue about class rank is really worrying me. I go to a VERY SMALL school that is also very competitive. My graduating class is 21 and my rank is 6 with a 3.89 GPA. However, I am the only student in my class that took AP’s starting my sophomore year, and clearly have the busiest EC schedule that takes me out of school for weeks of 3rd quarter. Its messed up that our salutatorian is taking only 4 classes this year, and our valedictorian only 5 while im taking 9 and have many more time consuming and prestigious EC’s than them.
I talked to my counselor about this, and she said not to worry too much because if i went to the bug public school like a mile away (sends people to ivies every year) I would be in the top 5%.
I have a 33 on my ACT and have great EC’s, recs, good GPA, etc. but is my class rank going to kill my chances at any selective college like Bowdoin? Or are they going to see my tiny class size and what my counselor says in her rec about my rank and think differently?</p>
<p>Your school has selected its valedictorian and salutatorian already?</p>
<p>If your recommendations make the point that “Hands down, kai427 has been the student who has consistently sought out the most challenging course load at Teeniney Academy,” any holistic admissions committee will quickly see beyond the “6/21” and give you full consideration. At Bowdoin, which doesn’t require standardized test scores, I am sure they are well-accustomed to looking beyond numbers…however, that said, it would help if you did have other objective data to help them get to a happy place as they review your file. It would sure be nice to give some “oooompf” to that recommendation if you had killer SATs that backed up the idea that your star shines brightly even if your school’s dynamics say it’s “only” 6 out of 21. Or if you have lots of 4’s and 5’s on AP exams, that might inspire a recommendation comment like, “Nobody in this year’s graduating class – or, for that matter, our past 3 graduating classes – has gone into senior year with as many AP scores of 4 or 5 as kai427 and, with the most challenging course load yet again, nobody is going to surpass kai427 this year,” which changes the tune a little and talks about you as being at the head of the pack while your valedictorian and salutatorian are far behind you – by this measure – and you’re using senior year to increase your impressive lead.</p>
<p>You can address this yourself, but you would need to make it brief and avoid sounding derisive towards your classmates – which can be difficult coming from you. That’s why you’ll want to have your recommenders drive this point home and talk about you in the context of those academic measures in which you’re at or near the very top of your class.</p>
<p>I don’t know that 6/21 is quite as disgraceful as you fear it is, but with recommendations that focus on those things you excel at, you can create an impression among admissions officers that has them viewing you as the number one student and the top “prize” in the Teeniney Academy Class of 2011: “Sure, it says ‘6 of 21’ on the form but kai427 is first in AP scores, the leader among students when it comes to taking academic risks and accepting challenges, and unmatched when it comes to excelling with a challenging workload.” Just make sure your recommenders have the material they need to present you as Teeniney’s top student when it comes to this, that and the other thing.</p>
<p>Counselor is right. Bowdoin will probably know your school, especially if it’s truly “very competitive.” In any case, schools routinely send their profile, describing the mission, student body, range of classes available, graduation requirements, range of student grades and SAT/ACT stats. Bowdoin will be able to review your accomplishments in light of your gpa and courseload. Many schools, especially your size, have made the choice NOT to send rank info to colleges. I saw a top Ivy recently where 50% of applicants were from schools that did not report rank. So there, back to studying! Don’t worry, be happy.</p>
<p>That’s “high schools routinely send their profiles along with your GC and teacher letters.”</p>
<p>Thanks for the help guys! Bowdoin is def my top choice this year and I dont want anything to mess that up for me. Im planning on having a serious conversation with my counselor this week to outline my strengths beyond my class rank, and with my high ACT score, I guess it really shouldnt worry me as much as it is.</p>
<p>Wow, kai424, you are going through the same type of situation our D dealt with when she was applying last fall. She had a larger class but it was the same type of thing…six 4.0 students and none of them even made commended scholar test-wise. Several were so busy protecting that gpa/rank that some actually took calculus for no credit which they were allowed to do if they were getting a C or worse (while those in calc that got an A- to B had to worry about dropping in rank, I kid you not)! Others took regular classes vs honors or only a few actual academic classes.</p>
<p>Long story short, they did not do any better that big state flagship or less competitive lac. The couple of kids that really challenged themselves (our D included) were down the line in rank but got into some really top, selective colleges. Academic rigor/intellectual curiosity is huge…you have done the right thing!!</p>
<p>D’yer Maker gave you great advice. Our daughter had her social studies teacher (that she had worked with for 3 years, knew her very well and had done recs for things all through HS) address the situation. He has the honors kids jr/sr years so he was in the right position to be able to compare them in ways that really matter, better than her counselor was…at her school the counselor is mostly concerned with making sure everyone graduates!</p>
<p>Our daughter had very good admission and financial results in a very tough admissions year without perfect grades/rank. You have good test scores and ECs. Try to relax and let them see who you are…Bowdoin is known for looking past stats. I think if you have someone at school address this and concentrate on shining in the rest of your app you will have great success. My hunch is, your more ‘perfect’ classmates have already taken themselves out of the running at many fine schools, and they don’t even know it yet.</p>
<p>Congratulations on your fine record and good luck!</p>
<p>Wow, kai424, you are going through the same type of situation our D dealt with when she was applying last fall. She had a larger class but it was the same type of thing…six 4.0 students and none of them even made commended scholar test-wise. Several were so busy protecting that gpa/rank that some actually took calculus for no credit which they were allowed to do if they were getting a C or worse (while those in calc that got an A- to B had to worry about dropping in rank, I kid you not)! Others took regular classes vs honors or only a few actual academic classes.</p>
<p>Long story short, they did not do any better that big state flagship or less competitive lac. The couple of kids that really challenged themselves (our D included) were down the line in rank but got into some really top, selective colleges. Academic rigor/intellectual curiosity is huge…you have done the right thing!!</p>
<p>D’yer Maker gave you great advice. Our daughter had her social studies teacher (that she had worked with for 3 years, knew her very well and had done recs for things all through HS) address the situation. He has the honors kids jr/sr years so he was in the right position to be able to compare them in ways that really matter, better than her counselor was…at her school the counselor is mostly concerned with making sure everyone graduates!</p>
<p>Our daughter had very good admission and financial results in a very tough admissions year without perfect grades/rank. You have good test scores and ECs. Try to relax and let them see who you are…Bowdoin is known for looking past stats. I think if you have someone at school address this and concentrate on shining in the rest of your app you will have great success. My hunch is, your more ‘perfect’ classmates have already taken themselves out of the running at many fine schools, and they don’t even know it yet.</p>
<p>Congratulations on your fine record and good luck!</p>
<p>I agree with critter. Rank was the lowest factor in my daughter’s application. Her strengths were taking the most challenging courses, high test scores as well as pursuing intellectual/ artistic endeavors in the summers and writing a good essay. Her essay was about OM teaching her how to have fun when you have few tools at your disposal. I think in her essay they saw her as the type of kid who would make a small community a happy place which is so important in a tiny school like Bowdoin with long winters! Maybe that happiness factor is something they look for ? They rank so highly in terms of happy kids so either the student body is that way when they get there or become that way due to the quality of life at the school?</p>