Top 1 % vs 3 %, how much does class rank matter ?

MITprospect · 07-26-2012, 02:38 AM

I am taking the most difficult class load (lots of APs) at my school and am getting all As.
But my class rank is ~ 20/700 because I took several unweighed courses in fine arts.
If I hadn't taken these courses, my rank would have been ~5/700. How much will this effect my chances at MIT ? How can I bring this to the attention of adcoms, will they look at the transcripts and understand the reason ? Should I discuss the situation with the EC during the interview ?

molliebatmit · 07-26-2012, 06:46 AM

This is actually exactly what happened to me in high school -- I graduated 11/550 because of unweighted grades for band and choir. I don't think it mattered a great deal for my MIT application, and out of a large class like yours, they're unlikely to nitpick about small differences in rank, but you're certainly welcome to mention it in the interview if you'd like.