<p>The “top 10%” claim shows up in many the UC campus data sets. I asked about this on another thread, because my son was definitely not in the top 10% at his high school, yet he easily qualified for admission to UCSB. UCSB claims that 99% of entering freshmen are in the top 10% of high school students, at least that is how it is listed in the USNWR data. It was explained to me that the statistic is referring to top 10% in the statewide context. So using the UC eligibility tool you put in your SAT scores and GPA to find if you are eligible (top 9%) in the statewide context:
[University</a> of California - Statewide path](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/freshman/california-residents/admissions-index/index.html]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/freshman/california-residents/admissions-index/index.html)</p>
<p>I agree this is very misleading. Kids can be top 20% at their high school but propel to top 9% statewide by virtue of their SAT scores.</p>