So any rank between 1 and 47 is top 10%
48 and higher is outside 10%.
No particular relation to Yale.
As far as “like Yale”. The odds are more than 90% against EVERYONE, because acceptance rates at highly selective colleges are less than 10%.
You absolutely can be ambitious and plan on throwing your hat in the rink at application time, just like everyone else, just on the off-chance that some particular angle in your application strikes their interest.
But, you MUST NOT make this your “goal”. It’s not a realistic outlook for anyone, just a reach, not matter how perfect your GPA, ACT or SAT. Instead, there are many excellent, well-respected colleges and universities with great programs in psychology and cognitive sciences, where you will be able to thrive academically.
Why are you so stuck on the Ivy league? These are completely different schools that have a completely different emphasis on who they select and how they rank students. Unless you are an internationally recognized student (Olympian, recruited athlete, celebrity), top 1 or 2 of your class with significant national recognition, or your parents can donate a department building, then you are probably out of luck.
Additionally, I hate to be a stickler for details but, one of the things in which you’ll be corrected upon, while in junior and senior year of high school English courses, is how to use the correct vocabulary/lexicon. It will be expected, not just from the Ivies, but also from your instate colleges.
Yale and the Ivies-8 total- (which are a sports conference) will easily note your “advance” use of the English language and, particularly, the use of these types of errors in your essays.
Most of my Ivy league friends would use the word “increase”. (ex: ‘I don’t know how to “increase” my rank.’)
Also, if you have 479 students, in your class, the top 10% would be the top 47/48 students. Always check your math.
Choose your classes based on what subject areas you need to complete, at the highest rigor you can manage well, and outside of that, based on broad interests, so that you have a few classes where you can just “enjoy” school instead of burning out.
You’re not acting in a vacuum. EVERYONE will still have Junior Year, and those currently in the Top 10% won’t suddenly “dumb down”, and might also be tempted/prodded by parents to choose classes to protect their position - so it’s not worth obsessing over something that to 90% you cannot control.
If the math works in your favor once everyone’s Junior-year grades and AP/Honors-boosts are factored in, then that will just be a happy coincidence.
I think this error may be what prompted the question about whether the student is international or if perhaps English isn’t the primary language spoken in his home.
Yale is a wonderful place. So is Rochester, Clark, Skidmore, U Conn, Rutgers, Brandeis, Case, U Pitt, and another 100 places you likely don’t know much about.
Forget about college. Focus on becoming the best version of yourself that you can. You like doing crossword puzzles? Salsa dancing? Volunteering at a health clinic? Knitting? Figure out what makes you YOU and stop obsessing about class rank!
Also, if we are being sticklers and wanting to help with a student’s grammar/word choice, I would suggest either, “I don’t know how to improve my rank,” or, “I don’t know what I can do to rank higher.”
“Increase” may not be technically incorrect, but “improve” is the more common term in this context. (Disclaimer: I went to a T25, but not an Ivy like @aunt_bea’s friends.)
It’s good you’ve met minimum requirements, but can you tell us where you are with regards to the program below, which would be considered competitive for schools with a sub40% acceptance rate, Rolla, Mizzou…
4 years of English, including most at Honors level and at least 1 at AP/DE level
4 years of social science/history, including most at Honors or AP/DE level, with 1 year of African American, World, or European History, 1 year of US history, and 2 others which may include more History, Geography, Psychology, Government, Economics… (and more if DE).
World Language through level 4 or AP
Math through precalculus (honors if aiming for CS, Engineering, Business, or Physics)
Science: Bio, Chem, Physics + 1 more, preferably AP or DE
Art (performance/studio or art history)
(and they know you may have to fulfill graduation requirements like Phys Ed and Health.)
As a junior, how do you compare to the above, for each core subject
English
Social Science/History
World Languages
Math
Science
Electives
(There’s some leeway if you’re not aiming for very selective colleges but even that would be modulated by major. For instance if you plan to major in STEM your achievement but also rigor achieved in Math&Science would be front and center, even at less selective colleges.)
Are you within commutable distance to St Mary’s? SLU?
Look into ctcl.org. Colleges that change lives offer a student-centered education, lots of attention from professors, small interactive classes, experiential learning, study abroad, internships, etc.
Some of these colleges may be out of reach academically due to your GPA but many would be high matches or matches; because they offer a very individualized admission experience they WILL look carefully at your record, note the difference between freshman year and subsequent years, and they will take it into account. They offer an excellent academic experience and if you’re low income have excellent financial aid.
When you say the highest level offered at your school is “CP”, is that a typo for “AP” or that literally no Honors courses nor AP, Gifted, or Accelerated courses are offered?
If there is a community college nearby, have you taken advantage of some of their offerings and if so, what have you taken there?
THANK YOU!! What they are saying isn’t even the point of my thread. I wrote this at 3 am when i was half-awake. My question is regarding my rank and gpa not how well can I speak the english language…
I will respond to this. You need to make sure you have lunch…and get sufficient sleep every single day. Having sound nutrition and sleep are things you will definitely need to have when you get to college. Don’t scrimp on them now.
I apologize. My point wasn’t to give you a lesson in English at all, and I am sorry that I have that impression to you. I was clumsily trying to give an adult a lesson in kindness and grace towards a teenager, especially when she didn’t know your backstory.