Oh no, my rank!

R124687
Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:28:08 +0000

No one “knows”. Please don’t take my “top 5” comment as gospel. I’m just giving data from my own D’s school experience. But the process IS holistic 9though, if you top 5 didn’t apply, they won’t have any comparison re: ECs, etc…again…THAT is why they look at everything. And maybe you have a GREAT high school (I didn’t go back and re look at the thread to see if you described it). Admissions DOES look at your entire application. But, with 10+ applications for every spot…well, they have to go by some numbers.

My own D is a lot like you - there is no WAY she SHOULD have the rank she does - BUT …she sure does! She “earned” it, gotta live with it. The number does SAY something to admissions, and it’s not “hey, look at me…I’m the best!”. It was due, in part, to her insistance that she be in every performing arts class there is (ok, hyperbole) - so she lacks weight. But it’s also due to one bad semester when moving schools. She was top few kids at old school, and SHOULD be at new school, but…now she PROBABLY won’t even be looked at by Ivies. She applied anyway. All her standardized test scores are top 1%, but…GPA is still king.

If “top 5” from YOUR school don’t apply to Princeton…then the school doesn’t SEE their rigor. Hopefully your counselor’s report will help explain things in a way that might help you.

But, MANY kids, including my D…had no one to explain that one needed to work harder from day 1 in high school for elite colleges. I never went to college, so I was no help. And I don’t think either of us felt she’d even apply to top colleges.

My D’s school also ranks on weighted grades…most do. That’s the purpose of the weight, to compare one child to another WITHIN the school. And this is why-look at this in the reverse.

Student #1 takes no honors or AP classes, and their electives are art classes, not extra math. They get all As and end up valedictorian.

Student #2 is a whiz kid. They take ALL honors and/or AP right from the start, eschew the arts (atc) and take extra math, science, languages. Again, all those are honors/AP. This child gets all As too…except two A- in two AP classes. They end up 2nd.

HUH? So it works in the reverse too. Depends on your vantage point. It’s not that anyone TOOK AWAY the weight from you, but that these kids worked harder and ADDED the weight. Obviously the above is the extreme to show a point…but…weight matters, and should. It’s also “not fair” for a person to be tops in their class by aceing Basket Weaving.

So, the fact you didn’t KNOW earlier is certainly tough…but you are NOT alone. Only kids with a REAL PLAN and lots of guidance from 9th grade end up in those very top spots.

Sorry I talked a bit in circles here. Listen…it’s ALL good. You’ve done what you can do…done it well…now all you can do is wait and hope…like everyone. I wish you luck - EVERY applicant needs it. And lots of them/you have 20/20 hindsight. I’m sure lots of people would change lots of things if they could.