<p>Do colleges compare students within your school? I am salutatorian of my class (maybe 3rd if I get 2 A-s this year and another student does not get an A- this year, but I am sure that does not make much of a difference), and I have higher test scores in comparison to the valedictorian, and I will be taking more AP tests this year (we are juniors, and I will be taking 4 vs. his 2). However, he has many more ECs than I do. I have a modest load of ECs (varsity sport 4 years and captain next year, research this summer, some jobs last summer, piano, and math courses online and self studied, founder of a club), but he just blows everyone away (community service trips to third world countries, already done a research program and the next year was a TA for it, community college classes (unimpressive ones at that but still college classes), volunteering, club president, varsity sport + captain next year, marching band). I cannot compete with his extracurriculars. I think that we will have nearly equal recommendations, mine maybe being a bit better than his, but definitely not worse. As for the person who is 3rd (or maybe 2nd), he barely has any ECs (math club, varsity sport + captain, marching band), but he has extremely high test scores, around mine maybe slightly better. We will all be applying to the same/similar top tier universities, and while we are all strong applicants, I think that we all have some weaknesses in some areas. For example, I am quite lacking with ECs, but I do think I will have extremely strong essays, solid recs, and I have some activities that are self-motivated/interesting (self studied APs and college level physics+math courses, research not through a program over the summer, game programming business, made a club), while the other two really stay inside the box, with the val really going all out EC wise. I would hate college comparison of applicants, but I really think that it would happen. I just wouldn't want one of us to get into all or alot of the places and the others get rejected everywhere or from nearly everywhere; that would be unfair.</p>
<p>This is an oft asked question. Do a search on keyword “quota”</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/594731-your-classmates-your-college-competitors.html?highlight=quota[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/594731-your-classmates-your-college-competitors.html?highlight=quota</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/554333-comparing-your-app-others-your-school.html?highlight=quota[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/554333-comparing-your-app-others-your-school.html?highlight=quota</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/557260-do-colleges-only-select-couple-students-each-high-school.html?highlight=quota[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/557260-do-colleges-only-select-couple-students-each-high-school.html?highlight=quota</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/594113-mutiple-people-applying-same-hs-same-top-tier-university.html?highlight=quota[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/594113-mutiple-people-applying-same-hs-same-top-tier-university.html?highlight=quota</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/618861-do-colleges-limit-number-students-they-take-individual-high-schools.html?highlight=quota[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/618861-do-colleges-limit-number-students-they-take-individual-high-schools.html?highlight=quota</a></p>
<p>Your first line of competition is indeed your classmates. That said, I don’t think any college would not take 3 kids from a school if they were all kids they wanted.</p>