How much worse does an A- look on an Ivy League transcript than an A or A+?

<p>This is something I've been wondering in general. Ivy Leagues look at GPA and transcripts first, and I know they get thousands of qualified applicants. How much does it affect an applicant if they are an A- to A student rather than an A to A+ student, as long as their rigor is high (for example I'm in straight AP classes right now, would that be a consideration)?</p>

<p>At most colleges GPA is calculated with an A being a 4.0 and the A- at a 3.67. But how a high school transcrip is viewed in context of the school and the grading system used. For most good, but top of the top highschools, only the top 3 kids are the ones seriously considered at, say HPY.</p>

<p>@cptofthehouse Can strong ECs make up for a slightly lower class rank (~7 / 400)? Or are strong ECs just what distinguishes the best of the best?</p>