<p>CTY - 7 hours of class, but NO homework, NO drudgery, NO grades or grademongering. It was heaven for DD.</p>
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Not necessarily. In a situation where the GPA and test scores don’t mesh, that would be more of a consideration.</p>
<p>I think the schools you mentioned in your initial post present an excellellent bunch of options. RPI, in particular, would seem like a perfect choice and I bet they’d love to have her. Happens that my daughter is looking at many of the same schools (or has looked at them and made other choices), and while your daughter may not be admitted at every school (I’m thinking particularly of Barnard), or receive significant money, if that matters (I’m thinking of Lafayette), it seems an excellent and realistic list. Best of luck!</p>
<p>“Not necessarily. In a situation where the GPA and test scores don’t mesh, that would be more of a consideration.”</p>
<p>How so? If two students each had 2100 SATs, 3.4 GPAs, student A was in the top quartile and student B in the bottom quartile, what would that show? That student A went to a school where it is more difficult to get good grades? That is manifestly NOT the case here.</p>
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It would show that within the same school, the student with the much lower rank is being left behind. In all honesty, it would likely show that there’s an issue somwhere, which may or may not be insurmountable, but it would be noted and assessed. Think about it for a minute. If Student A and Student P applied from the same school, with similar SAT scores and one is ranked in the top quartile and one is ranked in the bottom, everything else being equal, the higher ranked student would be admitted (because, of course, that student would obviously have much higher grades). If a substantial chunk of classmates has higher grades and similar test scores, that’s going to be something of a problem.</p>
<p>“If Student A and Student P applied from the same school, with similar SAT scores and one is ranked in the top quartile and one is ranked in the bottom, everything else being equal, the higher ranked student would be admitted (because, of course, that student would obviously have much higher grades).”</p>
<p>In that case the one student has substantially higher grades, and class rank adds no information. </p>
<p>This is a very selective school, I don’t know how to emphasize that. SOMEONE has to be at the bottom there. Whether there is a problem or not. Did you read what I said? She got a 5 on the BC calc AP. In Junior year. She is planning on taking Multivar next year. And yet she is in the bottom quartile or so. If she had switched to her neighborhood school she would be in the top quartile.</p>
<p>Brooklyn, would you be comfortable mentioning your daughter’s HS? I don’t think the CCers here know how competitive your D’s school is, and I think that might affect many posters’ outlooks on your D’s chances.</p>
<p>Someone does have to be in the bottom quartile. Without a doubt. But someone has to be in the top three quartiles as well, and if those kids have comparable SAT scores, selective colleges are going to be very eager to get them. Class rank is an important factor, as every college will tell you. Is it determinative? Absolutely, categorically, no.</p>
<p>As I said, I think you have an excellent list there and will get excellent results, because I clearly did read what you said. As I also said, I wish you all the best.</p>
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Many, many of the posters here (or their children) attend the most selective schools in the United States. If there’s anything understood here, it’s that.</p>
<p>^ What I mean is that lots of posters on these forums like to claim that their high school is very competitive, but in reality there are several different tiers of competitiveness.</p>
<p>For example, if this daughter went to a place like Andover, I think people here would be a lot more optimistic than they currently are. I’m just saying that naming the school might give a more accurate perspective.</p>
<p>Class rank is important for comparing students within the same school. But in that case it adds no information beyond GPA. Its ONLY possible use is for comparing students from different schools, and in doing that it is intrinsically unfair. I can see why college admission officers would want to use it, to increase geographic and other forms of “diversity”. It systematically favors applicants from less competitive schools, versus more competitive schools. </p>
<p>And that is why DD’s school, and many similar schools, do show class rank.</p>
<p>The scores alone will get her into some good schools, especially if you’re not looking for aid.</p>
<p>zooser, CYM</p>
<p>By not looking for aid, do you mean not looking for anything beyond the standard need based package, or do you mean ready to pay cash to a private school? </p>
<p>We are middle class, we will be filling out the FAFSA and we will need a standard package.</p>
<p>I’m surprised no one else mentioned this - you should go to the headmaster and ask for her calculus grade to be raised based upon the AP score. I would.</p>
<p>^^^I hope that was a joke.</p>
<p>Definitely an advantage at most private colleges to not needing any aid at all.</p>
<p>i think she can get into Rochester for sure.</p>
<p>OP - Sincere feedback requested? My pleasure …</p>
<p>If your D is looking for Engineering, you should be fine. The 1500 M+CR is fabulous, and Calc AP BC score makes it obvious that she’s learning the material. I second RPI as a potential match, but you won’t have trouble finding schools thrilled to accept her. Don’t even THINK of sending her to a second-tier public.</p>
<p>Where she’ll have trouble is getting admitted to elites. As many prior posters have mentioned, it’s an hard uphill climb to convince an elite school adcom to admit someone not at/near the top of the class. I suggest you not try. You have a wonderful daughter. IMHO she’s far better off at a college that can see her wonderfulness.</p>
<p>I think I would follow your wife’s instinct.</p>
<p>Newhope thanks for your feedback, and thats pretty much my thought. While I think she could be very happy at UR or RPI or several others, I still think she should apply to one or two reach school though I am not sure which. Of say, Penn, Cornell (Eng, Arch or A&S) Columbia, JHU, and U of C, I wonder which would place LESS emphasis on rank/GPA?</p>