Senior Year GPA/Rank?

I know a senior who is one of the top 5 (possibly 10, around that ballpark) in her class, and the GPA differences are minute (under .1 between her and number 1). Most (if not all) have at least 1 unweighted class out of 8, and with her taking 9 classes instrad of 8 and all weighted classes, she thinks she may have a chance at val/sal. Our school assigns a 5.0 to AP/DE (no IB) and nothing else is weighted. No pluses or minuses are given, just A, B, etc.

I believe rank is calculated for seniors around mid-Sept., but I don’t know for sure. She’s applying to a HYPSM SCEA/REA. Multiple people have been accepted to at least 1-2 of the HYPSM’s/Ivy’s each year at my school, so the chance of her getting in seems possible (as possible as it can get for HYPSM, anyway). But she’s worried about whether colleges will see her GPA/Class rank bump as a senior.

I’m questioning whether or not she can actually become val/sal, but aside from that, will colleges be able to see and account for any senior year grades/rank change (I think my school will send first quarter grades, a little foggy on the details because I got the info secondhand from her)?