GPA / Class Rank Discrepancy - Ivies?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>So I really want to get into an Ivy League school. And usually, my GPA would ... would be somewhat on point with that - it's a 4.56. The problem is, I just found out that I'm not even in the top decile of my class (they're not doing class ranking, just decile).</p>

<p>My question is: how much is this going to hurt me? Because I know that a lot of it depends on extracurriculars and leadership and whatnot, but I have SUCH a tough class; I just don't know what I can do. Is the fact that I'm not even in the top 10% of students going to keep colleges from seriously considering me as an applicant?</p>

2

<p>You have to have a KILLER application to get in without being in the top 10%. That is, unless your school is very, very competitive. </p>

<p>But its not impossible. Keep your head up, and what happens, happens. If you dont get in, then you are just meant to be somewhere else. You will love wherever you end up, trust me.</p>

3

<p>Yeah your GPA can’t be considered as a positive thing if your rank isn’t good. Just wondering, how many of each grade do you have? (As, Bs, Cs)</p>

4

<p>My school is RIDICULOUSLY competitive.
There’s not a single B on my transcript. I have straight As, dating back to the beginning of ninth grade. (I’m a junior now.)
My unweighted GPA is a 3.8.</p>

5

<p>Is your school nationally recognized? Like top 100? Otherwise, colleges will just have to take your counselor’s word as to competitiveness.</p>

6

<p>Doesn’t the fact that someone with a 4.6 GPA being ranked outside of the top 10% sort of speak for itself as to the competitiveness of the school?</p>

7

<p>Yeah, it says that the school is most likely ridiculously grade inflated.</p>

8

<p>Yeah your school just inflates grades. I dunno what a 4.56 is unweighted, but it’s probably really close to a 4.0. So over 10% of your school has a 4.0. That my friend, is inflation.</p>

9

<p>If you look at the most competitive high schools, it’s typical for few to achieve a 4.0. At Exeter, a couple of kids do that each decade. Yet their whole student body would do well at ivies and their average SAT score is about 2100.</p>

<p>Very competitive and rampant grade inflation are very different things.</p>

<p>In all honesty, it’s very, very unlikely to gt into an ivy not being top decile without a major hook. You would need to be an impact athlete or a very rich legacy. All take under 5% who were not in the top 10% which includes all recruited athletes, URMs, legacies, development…you get the picture. Penn accepts only 2% who were not top decile.</p>

10

<p>xLive. They’re right.</p>

<p>My top 1% has 4.8 GPA’s. I have a 4.6 and i was in the top 3%. I had to work my asss off.</p>

<p>My school never gave curves, extra credit, and i would have to spend hours just to get an 88 on a paper.</p>

<p>Not everyone can be THAT smart in your school Xlive. Btw, what is the high school called?</p>

11

<p>Grade inflation.</p>

<p>There is a difference between “Competitive” and “Grade inflation”.</p>

<p>Oh, first time I agree with Redroses.
l
l
V
Very competitive and rampant grade inflation are very different things.</p>

<p>I don’t want to generalize, but here’s a rule of thumb for you.
If your valedictorian has an SAT lower than 2100, your school has grade inflation (also implying that people in the top 10% have excellent SATs)</p>

12

<p>Echoing the others, I didn’t really want to jump out with “grade inflation” in the event your school was truly incredibly competitive, just weighted courses. It seems to speak of just grade inflation at this point…</p>

13

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<p>Doesn’t really mean anything, since if you are val you are just at the top of [a potentially inflated] system.</p>

14

<p>No real chance at Ivies being outside of top 10% unless some extraordinary hook.</p>