<p>I just got my rank today. I am 33/556 (around 5.9%) with a 4.90 weighted gpa and a 4.01 unweighted gpa. As you can imagine, I am extremely dissapointed (especially since these are the numbers I am going to use for ED to CAS this fall). Two reasons for this low rank are A) everyone freshman year got straight A+'s while I only got A's (big mistake) and B) AP classes are weighted the same as honors classes (so like 15 people who take joke schedules are ahead of me)</p>
<p>My rank is probably the lowest point in my application. I have many leadership positions, have a 2200 on SAT, amazing recs and essays, and I am a triple legacy. Luckily no one in my school is applying ED to penn this fall.</p>
<p>Two questions:
1. How big of a turn-off is my rank?
2. Should I put in the "additional info" section the reasons why my rank is mediocre? Or is that just making juvenile excuses?</p>
<p>NOTE: this is not a chance thread. I just want to know what affect such a mediocre class rank will have on the rest of my application. Can a single aspect weight the rest of my resume down?</p>
<p>IMO, once you’re ranked in the top 10% and have a ~2250 SAT, Penn starts looking at other factors.</p>
<p>Especially with your legacy applying ED, you stand a good chance.</p>
<p>I just feel it’s terribly unfair that AP classes are weighted the same as honors in my school. The difficulty level and work-load do not even compare to that of an honors course.</p>
<p>I am just nervous because everyone posting chance threads are like top 2% (with comparable SAT scores) and I am only top 6%. Hopefully my ECs, hook, and essays will make me stand out though.</p>
<p>One question- </p>
<p>Where in the common or penn supplement is the ‘additional info’ and ‘your rank’ space? Cause i cant find either.</p>
<p>Pls help</p>
<p>Rank is not in your part of the common app. Your guidance counselor reports it in his papers. akkipenn, what do you think of my rank? you think it could really hurt me?</p>
<p>Truthfully no. I mean you have triple legacy, good essays, good sat scores and no competition from your own school. Chill 6% is not bad at all. Last year a senior from my school got in with very very Average grades but legacy and essaYS so go for it.</p>
<p>At my school, 13% of the students graduated with straight As last year.</p>
<p>So a single B in a class knocks you well out of the top 10%.</p>
<p>Will Penn REALLY use class rank as a primary criteria? Even if you have a 2250+ SAT?</p>
<p>Yes, Penn relies heavily on class rank. 99% of accepted students were in the top 10% of their HS classes. I can almost guarantee the remaining 1% were hugely hooked–not like a legacy but a major developmental or recruited athlete.</p>
<p>^^ well i am well in the top 10 %. I am 5.9%. I just sincerely hope that my 33/556 wont put up a red flag to admission officers. Someone two years ago got into penn RD with a rank of 17 in my school. so hopefully the difference between 3% and 6% is not detrimental.</p>
<p>It won’t matter at all. Admissions officers aren’t idiots. They completely understand the gaming of class ranking systems and, especially, if freshman year wasn’t your strongest year.</p>
<p>I have a friend who got a B in driver’s ed. It’s her only B and, as a result, she now ranks tied for 17th in my high school (of 125 students). She’s out of the top 10%.</p>
<p>If you’re telling me that Penn or Harvard or Dartmouth or any of the other Ivys (Ivies?) or top flight schools will simply look at that number and dismiss someone based on that, then I think those admissions officers are just plain lazy.</p>
<p>i think you’re going to be fine. i take it that you’re an over-achiever, because honestly, 5.9% is good.
at my school (it’s a crazy-hard prep school. blah.) most of the people who actually work get on average B+ to A’s… i’d say average for the whole school is C+ or B-, and it’s waaay hard to get A+. only like, 4 people in my grade have gotten all A+'s. i’ve gotten mostly A’s, but gotten B’s in 1 or 2 of my classes. now. i hope you feel better about yourself.</p>