School Rank

Applying to College
1

<p>When colleges are looking at your high school/transcript, is it better if you place very well in a average, low competition school (ie top 1% of 500 students) or rather just well in an extremely competitive school (ie top 10% of 500)? </p>

<p>In my school I am easily top 1% in my class, but if I had gone to the other, much more intensely competitive school on the other side of town, I would have to struggle to be in the top 10%. I don't know if my being in a relatively less competitive high school, even if I accomplish the most to my potential here, will diminish my chances for a desired elite college (ie Princeton/MIT)</p>

2

<p>You should look at each school’s naviance and see where the graduates went. College adcoms should know the academic rigor of each school better than you do. At the end, you will still be you, whether you are at 1% or 10% of different schools. Look at the “gap year?” thread just before yours, a student with 4.8gpa and 32 act did not get accepted by all the prestigious schools, he/she maybe at the 1% school you were talking about.</p>

<p>IMHO, you should go to the best school you can, work as hard as you can and get ahead of everyone else. Do not take a lay back position and be the 1% of the lessor competitive school.</p>