<p>Read the third paragraph first, if you don't want to read my stats and just answer the question in general.</p>
<p>I go to a public school, that is compietive. I have a 3.9 unweighted gpa (94 weighted/100) and a 2170 sat score, with a 1470 on reading and math. However my class rank is barely top 20 percent. My school does rank.
I have taken 11 a.p. classes and 9 honors classes/ 30 total classes. My rank is weighted.</p>
<p>My question is how would they look at class rank. I know 82 percent of the kids at JHU are in the top 10 percent, and the other 18 percent make up urms/legacys/athletes probably. So how would JHU look at a bad class rank. I know JHU practices a more holistic approach, but my reasoning is, with the number of qualified applicants they recieve, they wouldn't want a kid who is not in the top 10 percent, and would probably make up their stats look bad, when they can easily take a kid who is in top 10 percent with great scores and ecs. I don't bring any diversity to JHU either.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Class rank is not one of the primary academic factors of one's application. It is much more a minor consideration, whereas academic rigor, GPA, and course selection is much more important. Class rank varies so much from school to school that it becomes an additional piece of information that reflects a student's position in their school but not on a national scale. </p>
<p>There are schools that have over 85 students tied for the top position in the class whereas there are schools where there is only 13 students in the class so if you are ranked #1, your rank % is 7.7%??? Some schools use weighted grades, some school use unweighted grades. It varies so much that there really can't be a national class rank expectation. </p>
<p>Class ranks are always reviewed with relation to the specific school. And to say it again ... we are much much much more concerned with your overall performance, your academic trends, and the rigor of your courses, then your class rank.
<p>^^ I guess, but I am afraid that I don't fit the common data set. Is JHU to expect my school to be grade inflated, because I don't think it is. My counselor did mention in her rec that I would have been in top 10 percent in the surrounding schools in my area. But I doubt a good counselor recommendation can make up for not fitting the common data set.</p>
<p>The other thing is, many people assume that privates are more compietive than publics, which is probably true, because some privates have 10-20 percent of kids getting into ivys. I am just afraid that I will be rejected/waitlisted, because I am just another one of the 16,000 applicants, and even though everything looks "good", they have tons of qualified applicants, so why would they want me, when they can easily take a person with my stats, ecs, and better class rank?</p>
<p>I asked to major in History at JHU, but still do pre-med* (doubt major/concentration is taken into account, because people declare majors their sophomore years)</p>
<p>The fact that they don't look at class rank greatly worries me. At my school, a high gpa is extremely difficult to get, and the valedictorian has something like a 3.8 UW, while average low Ivy/equivs have an average of 3.5-3.6 UW gpa. Our school is one of the top public schools in the nation, and I am afraid that JHU will discard my app when they see my 3.4, even though it is right at the top 10% mark.</p>
<p>Adcoms are not stupid. They receive information about your high school so if the valedictorian has, say a 3.5 and you have say a 3.45, it doesn't look bad. Everything is relative.</p>
<p>A high class rank is always positive; a lower class rank might not be negative, depending on other factors. Colleges take a holistic view, and know what they're doing.</p>
<p>^^ Our valedictorian has a 2380 sat score, and has a 99.8 gpa (weighted). I have a 94 flat gpa, but am barely making top 20 percent. Which means that 20 percent of the kids in my grade have a gpa between 94-99.8.</p>
<p>^^^ My essays aren't too strong either, probably average at best...Essays can't make an application though, so if your essays are average/decent, you should be fine. If they are bad, then they hurt, but average/decent + should only help.</p>
<p>If a student's relative strengths don't include essays, s/he could struggle at a school that emphasizes them. Sometimes it's better to be at a school that values one's strengths and can better develop them.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
according to info session, this is their priority list in descending order:
1. Transcript
2.ECs
3.Essays
4.Recs
5.SATs/ACTs
I recall no mmention of class rank in my time there
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>First, no such "priority list" exists in our review process. This list is what typically carries the most weight in an application review, and actually the list is: (1) Transcript, (2) Non-Academic Achievements, (3) Essays, (4) Standardized tests, (5) Recommendations, (6) Supplemental Information. However, this so-called list actually will vary from applicant-to-applicant. Since our process is holistic that does not mean that the transcript is more important than tests -- rather that all items are weighted quite equally. Finally, class rank is considered when we discuss the transcript, it would not be its own separate category.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
But I doubt a good counselor recommendation can make up for not fitting the common data set.
[/QUOTE]
Actually a strong recommendation from a counselor can carry a lot of weight, especially when they provide detailed context of the school's environment. Secondly, we don't review applicants based on some "common data set" -- I have never engaged in any conversations with my colleagues that we shouldn't admit a student because they don't fit into our data set. That kind of thinking is prevalent on College Confidential and I laugh at all the time because it is just now how admissions review discussions work. </p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Adcoms are not stupid.
[/QUOTE]
Thank you! But it is true ... we do our research ... we know our schools ... often we know schools better than the students, the parents, and the guidance counselors know their own schools. I have been reading applications from the same region for over nine years ... I not only know grading systems, grade trends, inflation/deflation, grade distribution, past year data -- I even know by heart certain school's CEEB codes, certain school's addresses, and even sometimes reputations of certain teachers. (That is sad when I think of it ... but it is my job and I (and my colleagues) are very good at our jobs.</p>
<p>I remember when regional admissioner came to the regional meeting. She numbered an order of importance. First was Academic GPA and the last was SAT score. I remember her eyes when she looked at the parents and the students. I could read her eyes that she was telling the truth. </p>
<p>In the other hand, when i went to WUSTL regional meeting, the regional admission pointed out academic gpa first and SAT score next.</p>
<p>I made a huge mistake putting ED to WUSTL and getting denied. I knew that JHU was my number one school, but I heard great reputation between staff member and students. Only God knows our future.</p>