I go to a pretty competitive school in California, and I’m in my junior year and haven’t been doing too well in my physics class. All of my grades over the past 2 years (and this year) have been above 95, except for my physics grade which has been wavering around 89-91. I just can’t get an A on any tests, and I’m trying to correct myself and its not working. Will this 1 (relatively) low grade (if I don’t improve it; I’m hoping I do) affect my chances to get into a Ivy League school? It will definitely affect my class rank (as the school is really competitive), but also how much does class rank matter in admissions as compared to GPA?
GPA is more important, but a high class rank is still considered. However, even if you have a 4.0 and are valedictorian it does not guarantee your admission to any ivy or ivy equivalent. If your goal is an ivy, focus on making yourself attractive to colleges; obtain leadership positions, get involved in research, start a business or nonprofit, something like that. Also, depending on the size of your school and on how many people end up at ivies, the schools will know how competitive it is, and weigh your rank accordingly.