<p>I've realized this year that no matter how hard I try, no matter how many hours I spend working into the wee hours of the morning on essays and studying for tests, I doubt I'll be able to make it beyond the top 9% of my class, because my school doesn't weight grades (I'm taking the hardest/most advanced courseload possible - fewer than 3% of my class takes this courseload), and my final average currently is a 4.0, but with my slightly worse freshman/sophmore years, it will probally end up being a 3.9 or 94ish by the time its time for college applications.</p>
<p>However at my school, since no one takes the AP classes, and most people who take them get C's (I'm one of the 5 people in my 25 person APUSH class who has a A grade) and so thus people not taking any honors courses ever rank higher than me...</p>
<p>...so now that my background is explained, how deeply would this affect me at places such as Yale and Dartmouth? Those are my dream schools and I believe I would be a perfect fit for them (I have the other qualifying academics, 2200+ SAT, 800 SAT II's, 5s on AP exams etc.). Personally I keep my hope of going to one of those two beloved colleges of mine by thinking to myself that I have some hooks that would help negate my abysmal class rank - I serve as a national leader for the country's high school branch of the Democratic Party (YDAHSC), and am currently leading campaigns and plans in that. I also serve as chair for NY of another national movement (more minor, but I'm still passionate about it), and am usually frequently in contact w/ senators and congressman and politicians of all kinds (I've met Bill Clinton!). So in the end, I suppose my question is;</p>
<p>Is there a chance that my extreme devotion to politics (I'm planning to study this too in college) would have a chance of overriding my abysmal class rank and give me a chance at Yale and such?</p>
<p>Top 10 % is great! Relax. Many competative HSchools don't even rank their students and the colleges know this. Much more important than rank is the remarks your Counselor will write on his letter of recommendation. As long as you keep your grades up, and he can write that you have taken the most rigorous courseload available, you will be fine.</p>
<p>Class rank is typically very important in college admissions. A 9% rank is fine for some schools, but frankly it is rather low for the Ivies, ESPECIALLY for yale. That rank will hurt you, but hopefully the fact that you took a more rigorous course load, which is not reflected in your uw gpa, will be taken into account as well to slightly negate the effects of your rank.</p>
<p>In the end, an EC cannot negate an "anti-hook" poor class rank. They are two totally different things. It's like asking whether manicured nails can negate a pimply face. Your ECs sound nice, but your rank is your rank. If would help if you come from a competitive HS.</p>
<p>you keep making the same thread over and over again. I believe that you will be fine. Your GC is obviously going to note that you took harder courses and that your rank is dependent on UW gpa only. Colleges are not so stupid that they only look at a number and make a decision.</p>
<p>CHILL OUT! Obsessing and overstressing is not going to improve your chances. Schools could FILL their entire freshman class with valedictorians.....fact. But they dont choose to do so..and pick kids from all over the place, for all sorts of reasons.....some of them capricious and arbitrary.</p>
<p>I think your stats are just fine. Whether you get in or not has LITTLE to do with that....its all that weird stuff like geographics, demographics and EC's and legacy and just luck.</p>
<p>I think you will be fine, particularly for Dartmouth. I know someone who got in there who had mediocre stats last year....because she was an "art" major.</p>
<p>It happens.</p>
<p>How many schools did you apply to and what are they.....DONT get too obsessed with any one school. Push back and be more sanguine about it.</p>
<p>Wait to see what happens and then you will have many choices come April and you can decide what is best for you.</p>
<p>Top 10% is absolutely fine for top schools, especially considering the number of other things you've got going for you. Colleges will examine your record in the context of your high school, so they may already be aware of the factors beyond your control that have contributed to your class rank. If you're very worried about it, you can ask your GC to explain it in his/her recommendation. But a ranking in the top 10% is definitely not an "anti-hook"!</p>
<p>lol thanks...I feel better now about it, I guess in the end its beyond my control anyway (since even though I'll prob get a 4.0 this year my slightly lower GPAs from the past years wont allow me to rise up in the rankings) but now at least I feel a bit more consolidated</p>
<p>Your guidance counselor gives information about how your school calculates rank when he/she sends out your school information to colleges. The colleges will be able to see that there is no weight and that is why you have a lower rank. Don't worry about it at all, really. They'll see your course load is very difficult and because of the no weighting, they'll realize why your rank is lower.</p>
