<p>I'm a good student and a hard worker, but at my school, I'm one among many. And when you get into the top 20%, the competition is fierce, and your rank can come down to, literally, .01 on a 5.0 weighted GPA scale. I have high goals, but I'm in the second decile. Will this really make or break me, or should I continue to reach above and beyond? Thanks for any and all help!</p>
<p>transfer schools? try harder? at my school #1 has like a 4.34 and top 10% is like a 3.8xx 400 kids+. yes being not in the top 10% will hurt a lot.</p>
<p>top 20%? Well depends on your school. If you are in Exeter, even in the top 30% makes you a great candidate for ivy.</p>
<p>Come to our school, if you like underperforming students, and underfunded classrooms... is that what you really want???</p>
<p>My class size is 135... and it is private all boy school. So there is less "distractions", if you get what I mean. Not only that but a good majority of these guys are freaking amazing academic wise. </p>
<p>I am ranked 6th, at the moment.</p>
<p>I don’t think it would break you, maybe lessen your chance just a tad bit, but that’s about it. There are many other variables that contribute to either getting accepted or rejected that should be focused on. So I wouldn’t worry too much about your rank.</p>
<p>Your rank can make or break you. If your school is known for being extremely competitive (to the adcoms at the schools you're applying to) it might not be that bad, but honestly, you need to be in the top 10% (at the very least) for the top schools.</p>
<p>bad news for me, i guess. by the end of first semester senior year, im guessing at most, my rank will be top 16 or 17%</p>
<p>It depends on the school and on your circumstances.</p>
<p>Even very competitive suburban public schools and at most private schools, I'd say that being below the top 10% would hurt. If you're going to a ritzy, super-selective boarding school, the game might be a bit different. It also depends on the way your school compiles class rank-- are people tied for certain places? Is it weighted? How is it weighted? And so forth.</p>
<p>If you're that worried, at any rate, ask your guidance counselor. S/he can tell you the sort of schools that students from past years of similar rank to you have been accepted to. That will tell you much more than any person on here could.</p>
<p>95% of students at H were in the top 10% of their class. That should give you the most realistic outlook on your chances.</p>
<p>I'm from a public school with IB and AP programs. I'm in the top 20% with a 3.75 gpa (really don't know if that's considered "good" or "bad"), but I was accepted to a top LAC. You should always strive to do better, but don't burn yourself out.</p>