<p>Putting everything else aside (and yes, I know this is a hard one to do), would someone with a rank like 30/500 be an auto reject? How about 50/500? Damn the monster that is class rank.</p>
<p>IMO, no and no; look at percentages...one is 6% and the other is 10%</p>
<p>Congrats on your high rank and quit worrying about it!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, that's not my rank (no idea what mine is) but mine will probably be pretty low (freshman year killed me.) Actually my class ('08) has about 600, hopefully my class isn't as competitive as the class of '09.</p>
<p>A lowish (15-20%+) rank in a large school that sends several kids to top schools each year will hurt you - no two ways about it - but ECs and essays can always redeem you.</p>
<p>96% of Harvard incoming freshmen are in the top 10% of their class. I would imagine that the other 4% are athletes, or people who had families who gave incredible amounts of money. I'm friends with an athlete who got in that was in the third decile at my school, although he's probably one of Harvard's best incoming freshman athletes. I would say that 50/500 is pushing it; you better have something else really going for you. Just my opinion.</p>
<p>at least u don't have a 3.6 GPA.</p>
<p>Oh dude I know. That's the worst.</p>