<p>My school does not do class rankings. Could this hurt my chances of getting into certain colleges?</p>
<p>No, it helps you. If you go to a competitive high school it not only benefits you getting into selective colleges, it also benefits you getting better merit aid wherever you go.</p>
<p>Colleges usually use some kind of formula that takes GPA and class rank into account when accepting students and calculating merit aid. If you’re at a competitive high school, a high GPA doesn’t always mean a high class rank, and that lower class rank works against you. When class rank is not reported, that potential weakness is not considered in the application process, making your overall application stronger. If you ARE highly ranked, your school will report it; if you’re outside the top 10%, they usually won’t unless you request it.</p>
<p>My daughter’s high school just made the switch this year to not ranking. Two years ago D1 had a higher class rank than D2, but this year D2 was offered thousands of dollars more in merit money from the same schools because her class rank wasn’t reported.</p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>