Rank on the Mid-Year Report -- How important is it?

Applying to College
1

<p>I'm a junior right now, and I'm considering classes for next year.</p>

<p>As of right now, I'm valedictorian, and I'm sure I'll still be valedictorian when I submit my applications. Unfortunately, I don't know what the rank on my mid-year report (I'll be taking 6 AP/IB instead of 7 in order to fit in an EC) will be. I'm afraid I'll drop to 2 or 3 of a class of roughly 800.</p>

<p>What will colleges think if I'm not valedictorian on the mid-year report? Do you think it's worth losing my #1 rank (I honestly don't care to give the valediction and get the medal, etc.) to pursue an EC?</p>

<p>Any insight would be greatly appreciated. =)</p>

<p>P.S. Currently, I'm looking at (yeah...I'll be euphoric to have even one or two accept me) Princeton, Yale, Williams, Brown, Columbia, Stanford, Cornell and UPenn, possibly Georgetown. I am an Asian, female IB student with a 2370 (770 M, 800 Cr, 800 Wr) SAT super score (two testings), combined with fairly good ECs (nothing at the national level, unfortunately) and leadership positions. I do have legacies and I'm in a severely under-represented state (AR). Furthermore, I will almost definitely be a National Merit Finalist (already 99.9999% sure I'm a semi-finalist). I am, however, at just about the best public, non-magnet school in my state (don't know if this will hurt me). </p>

<p>Btw, don't know if it's relevant, but I intend to pursue an econ and philosophy double major, and then I'll attend law school. That is, unless I'm absolutely sick of school (which is becoming more and more likely) and want to find a job immediately after college. =P</p>

2

<p>with your underrepresented state and those scores, you’re probably in at all of those schools. You’re rank on mid year will only matter if thats what gives your application strength…if you have good ECs and excellent scores, dropping one or two spots shouldn’t matter at all, but could be a tipping factor in a close decision</p>

<p>I wouldn’t worry if I were you</p>

3

<p>Rank is very important. But being valedictorian (of a large class) is no. Being in the top handful should make you AS competitive as being #1. In my opinion, and based on what I see as far as who is admitted at my daughter’s classes of 700. I’ll bet your counselor can tell you - i.e. “Well, usually the kids in our school who are accepted to top schools are most often with the top 10 rank (number, not percentage)”.</p>