For the first three years of high school I went to one of the top schools in my county, took the toughest workload full of APs, and did well in my classes. I was in the top 4% of my class. I just transferred to another larger school in a different county and the weighting system is different here, so now kids who have not taken that many APs but have been here for all four years are way ahead of me. I am now only barely in the top 10%. I hate to sound like I’m whining but I’m afraid that this will negatively affect my college admissions chances. Will schools be understanding if I ask my counselor to explain the situation? And does class rigor or class rank matter more to top colleges? Thanks!
Class rigor AND class rank matter at the most selective schools. You are expected to have both. But as long as you are in the top 10% of your class, you are fine at the most selective schools. And the top 25% if good enough for most highly regarded schools.
Your guidance counselor is expected to explain how rigorous your course load is compared to your fellow students and what the school offers in their letter of recommendation. If your previous school was significantly more rigorous, the guidance counselor at your new school may be willing to make a note of that. It should be reflected in your test scores in any case.
It’s tough to change schools in your last year of high school. But when you are applying to schools, you will have the significant advantage of being able to talk about your unusual life experiences and unique perspectives from living abroad. That should more than make up for any minor decline in your class rank.