At high schools w/ an equal academic reuptation, which is better?
<p>Though being a valedictorian is certainly appealing, going by percentages, it’d probably be better being ranked third in the class of 600. I’m going through a similar predicament: my parents have offered me a choice in our move. I’d probably be ranked first in the new school, but the class is only 100. However, in my current school, I’d most likely graduate third in a class of 826. I’d suggest considering what’s more important to you: the title of valedictorian, or graduating in the top 0.5%.</p>
<p>3 out of 600 is way better</p>
<p>To me this just brings up the whole issue I have with class rank. Either way, stambliark is the same person! He hasn’t become a better person by switching schools, so why should adcoms view him that way? I don’t have the opportunity to switch schools and improve my rank, does that make me a worse student, a worse applicant? I have a great GPA, but so do alot of people in my class of 50 people. Why should I be penalized because the people around me are intelligent?</p>
<p>The difference between 1/80 and 3/600 will not make or break an application.</p>
<p>cool2bars they rate your school on a hardness scale.</p>
<p>Damitssam is right, cool2bars. In a class like yours, where almost everyone is intelligent, the students will be rated based on their individual performance, and rank won’t come into play so much. However, in a normal, ‘average’ public school, having a higher rank is, aesthetically, much better looking. Going by percentages, if stambliark41 graduates first in a class of 80, s/he’ll be in the top 1.25%. If s/he graduates third in a class of 600, it’ll be the top .5%. That’s not a huge difference, but it IS a difference. And, after all, the more people you compete with, the better the victory appears to others. My advice remains the same: I think it’d be better graduating third in the class of 600.</p>
<p>Yes but my school is not what you call “prestigous”. Its a very small, quite new private jewish orthodox all girls high school, and the reason there are alot of smart people there is simply because many Jews are very smart, and they choose to go to a Jewish school because they need the Jewish education. I have no idea how adcoms view my school but it is by no means a highly ranked school.</p>
<p>I would actually pick 1/80. why? because it shows that you are ahead of everyone else. You may still be number 1 if there were 1000 people. It gives an impression that there is more left in you. while 3/600 means 2 people are better than u…</p>
<p>Even so, the college admissions officers will realize what the percentages are. Being valedictorian is certainly appealing, but the fact remains that ranking third in a class of six hundred places you in a higher percent. Just because she’d be first in a class of 80, there’s no reason to assume that she’d maintain her position if her class was doubled. That’s merely an assumption, while ranking third is fact.</p>
<p>Its the same thing. Not mathematically, but niether is more impressive than the other. You shouldn’t be at a disadvantage because you went to a smaller school.</p>
<p>Generally, but by no means the only reason, a smaller class size to me means more competitive. Yall will like say that it isn’t necessarily true, but I know that. 80 doesn’t seem like a small town high school, but rather a private school, which to me would equal a higher equcation. I’m so gonna get criticized for this…but this is how I would think as an adcom.</p>
<p>Well glucose, adcoms aren’t guessing if its private or public based on the class size. They will know if it is private or public.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter…</p>
<p>It really does not matter much as the difference is so small. What should be quesitoned more is how competitive was that class of 80? If you went to an extremely competitive private school with only 80 people, then that could go a very long way. Likewise if you went to the school with 600, and 599 of those people were complete morons, and you just happened to be the smartest amoung the group, then it’s not going to help you much.</p>
<p>im glad they don’t rank at my school. average sat score= 1482… there would be a lot of angry parents if our schools had a valedictorian/rank.</p>
<p>hopefully no one is upset by this, but it isn’t about me. it was more out of curiosity b/c i know people in both positions.</p>
<p>sorry, but i thought should clear that up.</p>
<p>Don’t worry it’s definitely not a topic to get upset over. I should hope not. However, 1/80 or 3/600 is great, and ranks are not the “end all, be all” anyway.</p>
<p>you could see it in two ways:
- as mentioned above as a % (.5 vs. 1.25)
- the way colleges see it. They compare how hard the schools are and then see your rank (ex: A 1/80 at say one of the top prep schools in the nation is way better than a 3/600 at an average public school - but a 3/600 at a good magnet public looks better than a 1/80 at an average private school )</p>