I think you’re confusing having a higher GPA and SAT with having a higher class rank @sherpa. The kids with higher GPAs and higher SATs are more likely to also have a higher rank. I don’t think the rank is what got them in, but more likely it’s that the things that got them in contributed to their rank.
Maybe I’m wrong though. The admissions officers I’ve talked to seem to think rank only matters for the top 10%, everything else is about GPA/SAT/ECs.