<p>He goes to a very small alternative school. And by small, I mean there are only four people in his grade, including him. While I have no doubt he’s the hardest worker and smartest among them, it’s not a huge deal since it’s 1/4. If the school submits the class rank (which I doubt they will), will this harm him at all? He’s aiming for some state schools and Ivy Leagues.</p>
<p>If the school doesn’t submit the class rank, will they just look at his GPA and SAT scores?</p>
<p>A lot of school supplements on the common app ask for class rank and how many kids in class, so the school would have to report it. Nonetheless, I think 1 out of 4 won’t hurt him but it won’t be a major boost or anything. I think they’ll just see that he’s good and evaluate him based off other things rather than class rank.</p>
<p>Many high schools don’t rank. That’s often the case for selective private schools, and I expect for schools such as the one you describe. Simply ask them if they rank.</p>
<p>In a class that tiny, it probably won’t matter. There’s a high school in my area with two kids in the graduating class–#1 is headed to Williams, #2 to Middlebury.</p>
<p>Every applicant has to fill out a Secondary School Report when applying via the Common App, which is necessary for all the Ivies now. Here’s the document:</p>
<p>It gives an option if you don’t rank but it clearly asks for class rank, class size, and other factors. Since his school ranks, they must submit class size and class rank. If the school has a policy of not disclosing rank, then that’s a different issue. They still have to report the class size.</p>