<p>if i have a low class rank,let’s say,only top 13 %,(900 ppl in my class),is it going to hurt my chance ? (assuming all the other factors are decent) applying to NYU,Cornell,JHU,etc.</p>
<p>Class rank is always optional. Ask your guidance counselor to put the rank on less competitive schools but I wouldn’t report the rank to Cornell, JHU, or even NYU. If you were in the top 10 I would say sure but that three percent makes a big difference, especially since you have a huge class.</p>
<p>actually im not sure if it is 13%,it may be 11 or 12,or even top 10 :),but im still very worried. so,class rank is optional?is it better to not report my class rank if im not in top 10 %?</p>
<p>Class rank is optional? Not always. It’s a required part of your transcipt at my school and in my district.</p>
<p>Class rank is NOT optional! Take a look at the common data sets for your schools. You will see what percent were in what decile. If 90% plus were top 10% and you are not and don’t have a hook, that school will be unlikely.</p>
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<p>I wish class rank was optional! My school doesn’t rank, but I’ve never heard of a school that ranks as a policy and then doesn’t for certain schools.</p>
<p>Top 13% wouldn’t be that bad in a smaller school. You do have to realize that rank put’s you at near 100th/900. This will hurt you at top schools.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t place too much emphasis on class rank. Take this example:</p>
<p>Sally takes the easiest course load possible throughout her entire high school career. Gym, Dance Composition, Beginning Art, Gym(again), Regular English, and the basic math requirements. She comes out senior year with a 4.0 GPA, easily. </p>
<p>Jim goes the advanced track. He has taken most of the AP classes that his school had to offer and he went above and beyond the required curriculum that his school set out. He comes out with a 3.73 GPA (but weighted its obviously more.) </p>
<p>Given that Sally and Jim attend the same school, would class rank (being that unweighted GPAs are used to rank) be an efficient way to decide which student is more prepared and best fit for a top tier college? NO Way!!!</p>
<p>“yipyip0901” as long as you’re competitive otherwise, don’t be concerned with class rank. Schools, especially schools like NYU, are well tuned to looking beyond numbers that are as unrepresentative as class rank.</p>
<p>At my school, you fill out forms that declare whether or not you want to report your class rank so hmom5, yes, class rank IS optional. Just like at some schools SAT and SAT II are optional. I’m not saying that every school has the same requirements so obviously, if class rank is required 'you would put it. I’m saying that you don’t have to put class rank in some cases if you don’t want to.</p>
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<p>Unweighted GPAs are not always used to rank. It is up to the individuals schools. Adcoms will try to look and gauge whether the rank is appropriate and would cut him/her some slack if they ranked with unweighted and his counselor marked “most rigorous available.” In any case, there’s not much you can do about it if you applied this year, and not much if you’re applying next year. Work hard, and good luck!</p>
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I’m sorry, your schools is the exception, not the rule.</p>
<p>Steven, it may be optional at your school. As reported in A is For Admission, colleges will figure out a rank for you if they do not receive one from your school. So it is NOT optional.</p>
<p>a lot. depending on where you apply the hurting may vary</p>
<p>my school doesn’t rank 
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<p>I think weighted GPAs are usually used to rank… If schools do both weighted and unweighted GPAs. I’ve got a friend with a 4.0 uw and he’s 30 people behind me, I’ve got a 3.71.</p>
<p>hmom5, what do you mean they figure out a rank for me if not reported? That doesn’t even make sense. And like I said not all schools require the class rank otherwise it would be required for every school. I know my school is an “exception” but a lot of schools are like it. Besides USNEwS and NYTImes have articles on how high schools are moving away from reporting class rank. So basically, I would ask your counselor if you can opt not to report the rank unless of course it’s required.</p>
<p>if you aren’t in the top 10 percent of your class, ivies are near-impossible.</p>
<p>Steven, read some books. Start with A is for Admission by Hernandez. Many schools, especially private schools, do not rank. It’s important to colleges to see you in context so they figure out a rank for each of the unranked. They have formulas based on historical data for schools that send them many applicants. For others, they use the profile to make an educated guess.</p>
<p>Being unranked is often not a good thing. When I worked in admissions I believed it was a negative for kids from schools not well known to the colleges.</p>
<p>in case im not in top 10,(top 13 at least),but i have a reason for that,is it going to help? i just came to the US since i was a freshman,so the first two high school years were kinda challenging to me since my first language is not eng.and i was very homesick and i could not live with my dad becuz he needs to work in my country. do you think it helps a little?? :(</p>
<p>What schools are you applying to and what are your scores? What percentage of your high school’s classess go to top colleges?</p>
<p>i did not take SAT I and IIs yet.but im sure i will do well,(at least in the mid-50% range of the schools that im applying to)
I dont know the exact percentage,but i know that in the past years,my school sent students to Harvard,MIT,Cornell,JHU,NYU,UPENN,BRown,Stanford,etc.
PS:my first choice is cornell.</p>
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<p>If your school doesn’t rank colleges try to figure out where you are in terms of the class. Many schools are moving away from reporting rank, but not as an opt-in opt-out kind of deal. Colleges don’t require rank or not require rank. If your school doesn’t rank, no rank is sent regardless of what the college would like. If your school does rank, the school tries to see if it is an accurate representation of where you fall in the class. If your school doesn’t, it tries to figure out where you do fall. </p>
<p>I’ve never heard of a school that allowed students to opt-in or opt-out, but if the transcript says “student opted out of ranking” or the profile say that students may opt out of ranking and your rank isn’t there schools will probably assume you have a low rank.</p>