<p>I’m from a highly competitive school, and even though I took the hardest classes, I’m not ranked first (weighted) because I had like two music credits that were not like AP or anything. So I’m ranked like 10/400 as a result. The problems is that there are like 8 other people who are ranked higher and they are applying. Will that hurt my chances alot? There is NO way they would take more than 4. I mean, would Harvard take someone from a school who is ranked lower than another who is ranked higher from the same school? I heard Harvard emphasis alot on ranking and grades…so I dunno</p>
<p>Just apply and wait and see.</p>
<p>hey thats my situation too. im ranked 3rd just becuz of my years in orchestra, otherwise i'd be first. i bet harvard would be able to see that, so itll be fine probably. looking at just what you said, i would hope/think/believe that uve got the upper hand slightly</p>
<p>My guess is that, within that top echelon of your classes, essays and recommendations will make the decisions-- not who's first, second, and third.</p>
<p>yeah my class is ridiculously competitive, I'll have 12 or 13 AP classes by graduation and I took all other honors classes, and I'm not even in the top 10 with straight A's. People who go to a medicore school are pretty lucky. I just heard that Harvard cares alot about rankings stuff to boost their stats.</p>
<p>I'll answer with an example.</p>
<p>A boy from my school last year was ranked 7/199 at a school where only the top 10 are competitive, and even that is an overestimation. He had a 1390. II's in the high 6s/low 7s. In: Harvard; Yale; Columbia; UVA; Duke; etc. etc. etc.</p>
<p>He didn't have the best scores or the best rank, but he was damned interesting. That's why he's at Harvard. </p>
<p>Worry less about what you can't change, and more about what you can.</p>
<p>As long as you're in the top 10%, you're not dragging down their statistics.</p>
<p>Don't worry about that. Ranks are important but not everything. Right now i'm like 4 or 5 out of 500 but the top three people are all study-a-holics who don't have friends and do no clubs or activities whatsoever. I think harvard would gladly take a person like me, who has tons of ecs and a life and a personality, than a boring person who just studies but is valedictorian.</p>
<p>Ok. Apply, fill out the form. It's easy. After that, there's nothing you can do.</p>
<p>There are no quotas. If you're within top 10% (as wisely stated by just<em>forget</em>me), you're ok because afterall, Harvard accepts 10%.</p>