<p>I can try to answer this as my daughter is in a similar boat as you. She was accepted into the Swanson School of Engineering- in August- and got the same letter as you it seems (no mention of UHC or scholarship consideration in the acceptance letter), but yet she completely meets the criteria for UHC- EXCEPT for class rank! 
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<p>Her stats are:
GPA: 3.7 UW / 4.5 W
ACT: 34 composite
SAT: 1420 (CR + M)
Class rank: ~ 13% also a very competitive school… In fact, one of the most competitive out of the 29-30 high schools in our county.
Also NHS, several ECs, comm. service, and part-time job. </p>
<p>I called and emailed the OoA and asked about this and was told it was her class rank. They acknowledged she met UHC otherwise, but the engineering school is very competitive and many others meet ALL the criteria (incl. class rank). Although some schools don’t even report class rank so the emphasis on that hardly seems fair. It appears the merit scholarship consideration is similar reqs as the UHC, including class rank! (ugh…) </p>
<p>Anyway, I had her write another letter /essay of why Pitt is her school of choice including their programs, her legacies, etc. and they responded back saying they would reconsider her for UHC after seeing her first semester senior grades. I suspect they think that will boost her class rank but considering she is 82 out of 600 students, one semester is not going to move her from 13% to 10% or less considering all the students above her are also high achieving students. It’s crazy to have her stats and still be as low as 82. </p>
<p>I showed her an article in the college board.com that discusses how class rank is not a reliable indicator of comparing students across the board since schools and grading systems across the nation are so different, and not all even use class rank. Also some feel it penalizes many excellent students who are squeezed out of the top 10 percent of the class and then overlooked by elite colleges. If you’re interested:
[Class</a> Rank & College Admission](<a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/applications/rank]Class”>Class Rank and College Admission – Counselors | College Board)</p>