<p>Will employers and grad schools be as concerned with GPA or will high class rank be more important. For instance, should I go to a school like Chicago where my GPA might be low or a school like Penn where I will have a higher GPA but the same class rank.</p>
<p>Class rank rarely exists in College. It is all about GPA. Of course, employers know that a 3.5 at Chicago is very tough to maintain.</p>
<p>I think grad schools may look at class ranks to some degree when looking at transcripts, if it's available, but not employers. I wonder to what extent employers realize grade inflation's impact and that seeing a 3.5 GPA on a resume does not mean that the student is as far above the average student at his college as a 3.5 GPA would have represented 15 years ago.</p>
<p>The closest thing to class rank in college is honors: cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude.</p>
<p>I would avoid schools with grade inflation. I would avoid schools at which you would be overqualified.</p>
<p>The best educators are demanding and have high but attainable standards. Even the best students at the best schools learn the most when they are challenged. In the long run, you are better off going to a school with high grading standards. Easy grading makes even the best students soft and lazy.</p>
<p>If an employer or an admissions committee is not aware of differences in grading standards at various schools, then they will be deceived by inflated gpas and accept inferior employees and grad students. Their business will be destroyed. Their grad school will become defunct. They will find themselves unemployed, lying in a gutter, drinking wine out of a paper bag.</p>
<p>Class rank is important for Grad school admissions. Recs are extremely important for grad school, the rec form invariably asks your professor to rank you in the class (top 1%, 5%, 10%, etc.)
GPA is not that critical for employment. Some large volume employers may have a cutoff GPA, but the interview is the most important factor that determines if you get your foot in the door. Once you are in, the company values you for what you do.<br>
collegehelp, I don't think the employers will necessarily be lying in a gutter, drinking wine out of a paper bag, even if they hire kids from schools with inflated grades. Many people who didn't learn much in school, learn fast on the job and perform phenomenally and their boss gets to go to top class restaurants to eat at company's expense!</p>