<p>I think that the OP's letter was a reasonable, factual account of his school's ranking system and his place in it. I'm assuming that other language and music classes at his school do receive weighting, and that some of the 30 students officially ranked ahead of him have had the benefit of this. It's hard to see how explaining the situation could be contstrued as whining. The fact that his teachers supported his pov would suggest that his position has merit in the eyes of a number of adults familiar with the school's weighting system. Obviously, it would be better if the OP's GC had taken care of this for him, but given that that didn't happen, it's hard to see a downside to direct, straightforward self-advocacy. If the student hadn't explained to Stanford, they might very well see him as less outstanding in the context of his school's population. Now, with the additional info, the Stanford admissions committee can make its own decision as to how his rank should be interpreted. I say, good job, and maybe think about taking some courses in law.</p>