How easy is it to get into Ivy colleges if you're #1 student in your school?

[ucbalumnus]

@T26E4

The answer to your question: it’s EXTREMELY difficult for #1. The same level of difficulty for #2 or #3 or down the line. Your narrow focus on besting your peers seems to be a pretty nasty strategy, frankly.

Class rank is “very important” for Yale admissions:
http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=244

However, that is far from the only criterion for admission. An applicant needs to be top-end in many other things as well (top-end test scores, extracurricular achievement at the national level, excellent recommendations, excellent essays, no “defects”) to have much of a chance of admission to a super-selective school.