<p>Okay, everyone knows that class rank is factored into admissions. My question is, if colleges look only up to first semester senior year before making decisions, how can they take class rank into calculation, when it is finalized at end of senior year of high school? For example, the valedictorian is measured based on grades 9-12. So how do they do it?</p>
<p>bumppoppppppppppp</p>
<p>Not all schools rank. About 1/2 don’t. So colleges know how to use the number when it’s available, and to deal with those situations when it’s not.</p>
<p>Your rank as it is at the time of application is what matters. So your very final rank to the extent that it differs at the end of the senior year from what it was at the time of application and/or what it is at the end of the first semester does not influence your application. For that matter, unless they are very bad, your last semester grades don’t influence your application at most colleges. </p>
<p>If you apply as a transfer student then the situation may be different since then your final rank would be on your transcript.</p>
<p>I gotcha, so basically the cutoff is first semester 12th. Thank you.</p>