<p>Katiebuggers et al, – if you attend a school, in VA or outside, with highly competitive admissions and where the vast majority of students would be in the top 10% of more typical high schools, ranking outside the top 10% of your class wouldn’t be de facto preclusive for admissions to UVa. Think Exeter and the like or TJHSST in Virginia. The key for schools less well know than the examples above is to make sure UVa, and other selective colleges for that matter, fully understand the make up of the student body and the rigor of the curriculum.</p>