How important is class rank?

Applying to College
1

<p>I'm just wondering how important what you rank is because I have a 3.875 but my rank is probably somewhere around 25%.... will it look bad?</p>

2

<p>Good question... I'm not entirely sure. on one hand, it's a pretty solid gpa, but on the other colleges might think your school's curriculum is weak? let's hope it's the first haaha</p>

3

<p>If you go to a random high school it's important to be #1 or #2. if you go to Andover or Exeter you can get by with any rank in the top quartile and it becomes less of an issue.</p>

4

<p>Yeah I'm in the same boat. I go to a private school where if you fail a subject you get kicked out, so to be in the top 15% of the class you have to have absolutely impeccable grades in all subjects. Class rank is dumb, in my opinion.</p>

5

<p>My high school doesn't rank students and I never knew that so many schools did before I came here. It seems like they should put a lot more emphasis on GPA instead of rank because not all schools rank.</p>

6

<p>^ Not many high schools rank anymore, and even less do "Pure ranking" based on unweighted GPA. 60% of High schools agree that ranking is bull and thus have killed it, while another 30% use weighted class rank, and the remaining 10% use unweighted class rank. </p>

<p>Class Rank, whether weighted or unweighted, both have their faults</p>

7

<p>I know what you mean! My school is public, but among the top 15 in the state. A 4.0 (weighted) won't get you in the top 10%. Heck, it barely even gets you into the top 15%.</p>

<p>And my school does stupid unweighted (weighted, too, but still!) ranking, so there are a significant number of IDIOTS with a higher (unweighted) rank than me because I took APUSH and AP bio while they took current issues and genetics (blow off classes). So they walk around all proud of their 4.0 with nothing classes while I stand there fuming with a 3.9 and a rather significant list of APs and honors under my belt. Ranking is ridiculous! Its like a person is being punished for going to a good school. </p>

<p>Sorry, I get a little irritable about this issue...</p>