<p>Is it better to be in the top 10% and have low SAT/ACT scores (1600-ish out of 2400) or to be in the top 15% with scores in the high 1800s?</p>
<p>It depends on your choice of schools – top 15% is not bad in most colleges below the top 20. On the other hand, it’s much easier to practice, practice, practice and raise your SAT score on a retake than to improve your class rank by 5% after your freshman year.</p>
<p>I’d say that depends on which college you are intending to apply to since some schools may place more important on class rank than others. </p>
<p>However, from what I heard from acquaintances who did admissions at some elite schools, someone who graduated with a higher class rank with lower SAT scores may be regarded as someone who loaded up on easy courses and/or attended an academically weak high school. </p>
<p>Unless one attends a neglected poverty-stricken high school with a compelling story of overcoming huge life obstacles or brings something unique to the table, that won’t impress adcoms very much…especially those at the elite schools.</p>
<p>Being in the top 10% doesn’t matter as much for the schools these students would be targeting.</p>
<p>Your SAT scores are much more important than class rank. While this is generally the trend, it depends on the college you’re looking at. </p>
<p>Even if you were top 10% AND you got that “high-ish” SAT score of 1800, some schools would still reject you.</p>