Hi, I’m a senior applying to college this year. My unweighted GPA is 3.98 and my weighted gpa is 4.500. However, because a lot of people decided to p/f their ap’s, my class rank went down to 10.5%. Would this still count as 10% as it’s barely at it. I’m worried for top colleges that they won’t accept me because of my class rank.
I also had other circumstances in the beginning of junior year that I plan to report that affected the slight drop in my gpa.
I think you know the answer to that is no. Even rounding works against you here.
Top colleges look at MUCH more than class rank. If you don’t make it into any specific school it won’t just be for this reason. Apply broadly and make sure you have some safeties you can afford and would be happy to attend.
@Erin’s Dad If I have high scores for everything else, good essays and good ec’s, does that make up for the class rank?
Does your school rank based on weighted or unweighted GPA? If it is weighted GPA, either or both situations seem to present themselves: a) your school has significant grade inflation and/or b) your rigor is less than that of higher ranked students. I’d also mention that normally taking higher weighted courses P/F hurts your ranking in a weighted GPA system. While the P/F grade is neutral to GPA, students who have more “5’s” will have a higher relative GPA especially as you get to the top of the pyramid where almost every student has an UW 4.0 (or close to it) and are maxxing out on weighted courses.
Whether or not your school record will sink you because you are just out of the top 10% should not be your concern. There are many other things you will be judged on. Even in the transcript analysis, beyond GPA and rank, the AO’s at top schools will look at rigor and trends. They may also have an idea of rigor and grade inflation/deflation at your school.
@BKSquared hi! my school uses weighted gpa, however there isn’t much grade inflation. It is considered to be a very hard school compared to nearby schools. Also, I’ve taken 7 AP’s so far and am in 4 more right now.
If your school is known for its rigor, that should be to your benefit. Does it have Naviance or other data on students’ track records on getting in to various schools based on test scores, gpa/rank? You should get a better gauge of where you stand from your GC. Best of luck.
@BKSquared yes it does, I searched up a lot of colleges and looked at myself compared to others. I fit in the range and everything looked good, but I don’t understand why my rank is lower.
Understand that “fitting in the range” for Ivy League (and equivalent) schools in no way means you will be admitted. With admission rates typically in the single digits there is simply not enough room for all of the very well qualified students who want to attend. It is fine to apply but recognize that the elite colleges must be considered reaches for any unhooked applicant. Be sure to spend the time and energy to seek out match and safety schools that appear affordable (run net price calculators) and that you would be excited to attend.
@happy1 Ok thank you! So this class rank would not put me at a severe disadvantage?
I am not an admission officer and cannot predict how your class rank will impact your admissions decisions. I can say the following:
–Many high schools do not rank and those that do calculate rank different ways. Class rank alone is unlikely to be the sole deciding factor in any admissions decision.
–Any elite school (including all Ivy schools) will be a reach for an unhooked applicant. It is fine to apply to a few reaches.
–Just please be sure to create a well balanced application list with match and safety schools that you would be excited to attend. There are so many amazing colleges and universities out there so don’t make the mistake of focusing your time an attention only on a few of the hardest colleges to gain admission to.
OP- define “severe disadvantage”.
Brown used to publish detailed stats information, and I seem to recall that if you weren’t Val or Sal your admissions chances plunged pretty precipitously- unless you had published your first work of fiction, debuted at Carnegie Hall, had been cast in a major motion picture, etc.
Your HS’s naviance data is going to be the best guide here. Do not just look at “who gets in”, but spend more time looking at “who gets rejected”. That’s the key to interpreting the data. If kids like you are getting rejected more often than accepted, that suggests that there’s something in the application of the kids who get accepted that you cannot see- Mom is a US Senator. You won a silver medal in track and field at the Olympics. etc.
As everyone has pointed out- now is the time to fall in love with some colleges who are going to love you- class rank and all. Pick two or three reaches- and then start to focus on the schools where your class rank will be an advantage not a liability!
I believe the common data set for each college tells what percentage of accepted students are in what rank or percentile. I don’t know how accurate that is because so many high schools do not report rank (colleges may be able to make a decent guess for admissions purposes - if they wanted to - based on the high school report).
It is safe to assume that if a highly ranked college accepts a handful of kids (say, 5%) from the top 20% of their class, and 95%+ of their acceptances go to kids in the top 5% of their high school class, the kids who got in from the top 20% were hooked (recruited athletes, children of major donors, alumni kids, URMs, etc.)
I would think being outside the top 10% for a highly selective college, especially for an unhooked applicant, is going to be a disadvantage, but not a “severe” disadvantage. After all, if you’re up against a pile of unranked applicants and your application is stronger on the whole than all of those (relative to what that college looking for), they aren’t going to turn you down over them. On the other hand, selective colleges, even after whittling down thousands of applicants, reach a point where they need to cut down even more, and they start to look for a reason to reject applications. That’s where a lower class rank can hurt.
Do your research. Give it your best shot. Make sure to apply to several match and likely schools. Don’t get your heart set on one school or on the prestige factor in general.
It does depend on the quality of other applicants from your hs. AND the hs down the street or even across town. For a most competitive holistic college, you need to understand this is more than magically reaching some bar or being in the top 10%.
They take a limited number from various areas, your major can affect, gender, and more. How you gathered the right experiences matters. Etc.
Don’t hyperfocus on one teeny piece. Put your energy into forming your best app and supps. Know what that is.
Thank you all for your information!!