There are many similar questions to this but none that quite answered how college admissions change their perspectives–if at all–when analyzing class rank.
I go to a college prep school where honors courses are offered freshman and sophomore year (unweighted) and then switches to APs junior and senior year (weighted) with exception to precalculus (still honors) junior year. I’ve taken all the honors courses that were available both my freshman and sophomore year and am now taking a bunch of AP classes. The only thing I’m truly worried about is class rank.
Most students at my school are smart but don’t like doing work. Many take easier classes the first two years because it’s easier to get phenomenal grades (but weighted the same as honors) and then move into APs as upperclassmen. Since class rank is based on GPA, some of the kids with hard course loads don’t end up in cum laude or anywhere near the top of the class, even if they performed well. While I don’t know my class rank, I’m certainly under the top 10%.
I know some other schools weigh honors classes differently and that the difficulty for many AP classes varies, so how reliable is class rank when evaluating students? Do colleges look at class rank “holistically”, or treat schools the same?Sorry for the long response, but I greatly appreciate any help.
Rigor gets a very important check on college’s CDS along with class rank. So if you have the rank but no rigor, you’re not in good shape. In fact, the only very important aspect on on CDS I saw (I think it was ND) was rigor. Your counselor would note you took the most rigorous curriculum at your school and also that honors are not weighted. 10% is kind of a benchmark at top schools. What grade are you in now? If you’re still a sophomore or first semester junior, your rank will probably rise when you move into weighted course and other people stick to easier ones.
I’m a junior in my second semester. My grades my freshman year took a sharp downturn since I had a 4.0 before high school. Freshman year it dropped to a 3.5 but has consistently increased every semester until I reached a 3.97 this past semester as a junior. I’m hoping to finish this year strong with a 4.0+ this semester before early apps for college next fall. My average is about a 3.8 or so unweighted, but I’ve heard some schools ignore freshman year.
I’m not applying to colleges based on status (that seems pointless to me), but just based on the research and college visits I’ve done, classes I’d like to take, the environment inside each college, people that attend, etc. my top choices tend to be selective. For this reason, I’m a bit nervous.