<p>It seems that almost all Valedictorians get into Penn, whereas high sat scores have sometimes been unable to steer from a downfall. Does being a valedictorian of a large reputable school a big plus.
I know that high ranks and gpas are of course important, what I’m asking is that does being #1 much better than #2 or w/e?? just wondering…</p>
<h1>1 and #2 are basically the same thing...</h1>
<p>what about number 8</p>
<p>I think it depends, but I think being #1 is a HUGE help. Maybe this is just my opinion, but I think it counts for more than people think it does. I remember my info session at Georgetown (well before deciding to go to Penn) when they put up a graph of class rank and acceptance rate. #1's were somewhere around 80%, and #2's dropped all the way down to 55-60ish %. I don't remember the exact stats, but it was a very large drop between 1 and 2, let alone 2 and 3, and so on... </p>
<p>That being said, I don't know if Penn is similar to GU in that way, I have never seen any Penn stats. Also, almost nobody else in my hall this year was valedictorian of their high school... not sure if that counts for anything, but just thought I'd mention it.</p>
<p>This link has general stat info. <a href="http://www.admissionsug.upenn.edu/applying/profile.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.admissionsug.upenn.edu/applying/profile.php</a></p>
<p>I think perfect SAT's & Valedictorian are about a wash, but I think the Valedictorian has a slight advantage.</p>
<p>There are no guarantees at a place like Penn. I remember seeing someone on here w/ 4.0 UW & 1600 SAT that got deferred. Essays, recs, & ec's matter just as much if not more.</p>
<p>I have a 29/24/33% chance of acceptance for either the top 5%, or based on SAT scores, how come Penn doesn't give acceptance rates by total SAT score?</p>
<p>Anyways, being a valedictorian helps if you come from a really good school, but I think the SAT score should be consistent with class rank as well</p>
<p>the strength of your school is more important than your class rank i think</p>
<p>eh, i think if the strength of your school is that important it is unfair, since you don't pick your school (unless you can afford it)</p>
<p>I think SAT scores should count more than strength of school.</p>
<p>sats are memorization - acts test how quickly you can think</p>
<p>the many validictorians get rejected from ivys, its probably because they attend weak schools and just happen to be the smartest/hardest worker there.</p>
<p>The SAT doesn't test memorization. The only example I can think of that requires it is vocabulary, but that's only true for people who don't read. The math is basic algebra, and there's nothing to memorize in reading comprehension. It tests logical thinking more than anything.</p>
<p>I agree with you, mike, on the fact that some valedictorians get rejected because they work really hard but don't possess natural intelligence, but if you say that SAT's are just memorization, then what standard should colleges use to accept anyone?</p>
<p>I think that being a valedictorian is an incredible boost because it shows that you took advantage of all the opportunities presented. It puts you in the context of your immediate peers (the purpose of transcripts, ranks, etc.) whereas SAT puts you in the context of all students. With that being said, Valedictorians usually get a big nod in admissions (especially if they're high-scoring) because of their success relative to those in similar situations.</p>
<p>My $0.02
-Eddie-</p>
<p>no... no it doesn't, because some assclowns in my school take exclusively honors classes and they rank in the top 10... i have taken all but 1 ap offered to me, and the remaining honors courses... the result? 24 vs. top 10... and it's def because of the ap's because physics was a ****<em>, no one did well in that class, *but we did good on the exam</em> and because of calc bc...</p>
<p>interviews and essays maybe?
back to validictorians and gpa - at my school ap and honors A's are worth 6 pts, regular class A's are worth 5. People pick their classes to get higher grades. For instance, hebrew is easier than french, which is easier than spanish, but all of them offer level 1 classes. Also, ap bio is easier than ap physics, like ab calc is easier than bc, but they are worth the same.</p>
<p>oh no not for us... honors and ap's are the same... :(</p>
<p>im either gonna be ranked 1 or 3 out of a class of about 500-600. My school is a large school, and has the largest ib program in the county. Would the difference between the rank of 1 and 3 (basically depends on if i can get an A in history, as i have straight A's except for my current B) make a large difference in applying to Penn?</p>
<p>I think of strength of school is very important, how would you like to be one of those kids from a NE Prep School or a place like Stuyvesant where almost half the class could have been a valedictorian at a regular, average public school?</p>
<p>half the class? That's quite an exaggeration. It would be more like the top 20%. Remember, "a NE Prep School or a place like Stuyvesant" is not made up of just the brightest students, but only those that are bright, have parents with money, and are willing to spend that money on something they could have for free.</p>
<p>wow that's a generalization...I would disagree--very competitive prep schools generally require a strong merit account first, and Stuyvesant is free...so uhh don't see your point there.</p>
<p>Stuyvestant is completely merit based, so that point is moot</p>