Class rank lower than I expected... is there time to fix it?

Applying to College
1

So I did not realize it but my counselor told me my class rank is 91 out of 284 with a 3.26UNW/3.54W… which works out to 32%. This is the rank at the end of Junior year though. Is rank usually updated at the end of a quarter or semester? I wanted to start applying to schools early but with my low rank I was wondering if waiting it out for a while would work out in my favor. I am an URM (Biracial black/white) in a lot of AP/honors classes (High school career Ive been in about 11 honors/APs total) and I am low income, which makes me wonder if they will even care all too much about my rank.

On top of this, the most rigorous school i’m applying to is University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, all of the other schools are not nearly as prestigious (University of Iowa, Southern Illinois campuses, University of Minnesota, Illinois State U, etc).

Also, since schools ask for a final transcript, does my class rank even matter at this point since it will probably change?

2

URM
pell Grant

first generation college?
Legacy?

You will check boxes - how are your test scores?

3

@ClarinetDad16 I am first gen and my ACT score was 27… I plan on taking it once more however.

4

http://admissions.illinois.edu/Apply/Freshman/profile

You have a solid shot at all your schools as long as you don’t apply for the most competitive major (like engineering)

5

Yeah I plan on majoring in biology/teacher education… which seems to be not too competitive at any school.

6

And can you afford all your schools? You will be out of state for at least some of them for which you will only get a loan and possibly a pell grant.

7

@ErinsDad http://msep.mhec.org/about

8

^ Which doesn’t answer the question and you aren’t the OP. The OP has state on another thread they have a 0 EFC.

9

@ErinsDad through the Midwest exchange as the link illustrates his home state and Minnesota have a special tuition arrangement.

10

For students whose families have a 0 EFC, a $500 savings is nothing. @Thisdudehere needs some solid safeties (schools he’s sure to get in, can afford, and would be happy to attend). Low income students who want to go out of state need to pay particular attention to schools’ Net Price Calculators. Look for schools with guaranteed merit (tuition grants) and housing costs that can be covered by work earnings, the federal student loan (~$5500/year), and Pell (up to ~$5k/year for students with low EFCs).

11

Besides the good advice to check on affordability, your GC is best in line to guide you on your list. Don’t fixate on your rank. The GC will be able to make suggestions.

By all means, you should drill down and not relent on your senior classes (including your 2nd semester: don’t slack off) – how you go out will very much mirror how you start your freshman year in college. Your 3.26 GPA may indicate some rough roads once in college. Don’t take that lightly. Best of luck to you.

12

Your class rank will improve if your fall semester grades are better than those of some of the 32% who are above you, and if the 68% below you do not improve at all. That’s the math of it. Do not expect a substantial improvement in class rank.

Ask your GC to go over the school profile sheet with you. If there are a lot of high achievers in your school, your situation might not be as bleak as it seems to you.

13

I contacted a lot of the schools and they did say 1st semester of senior year also counts, so if I can do well this semester I’ll be okay. Plus, a lot of seniors already have senioritis and have dropped a lot of (or did not take) any hard/ap classes at all, so I might have a leg up.