<p>I feel that class rank was a huge factor in my daughter’s acceptance to Duke. Coming from a small public high school in a rural county of NC, she needed that class rank to show her capabilities and her competiveness among her classmates. Although she had outstanding test scores (AP, SAT I and II, etc.), the class rank accurately reflected that she had taken the toughest course load (weighted for honors and AP classes) and had succeeded in achieving the highest GPA in her class. (Actually, a few of you may remember the controversy surrounding her graduation from 2004…but she was #1 on her final transcript even though she had to let #2 be the val. at commencement.) I do not think that test scores alone would have been her ticket to Duke, especially since her high school is not known for its top-notch students. Only the top five in each class could really be considered serious academics.</p>
<p>In addition, class rank does not necessarily disappear after high school. Those of you with Duke students may or may not know that Duke actually ranks their undergrads at the end of each semester according to cumulative GPA. At this point, I am thrilled that they do, because my daughter’s class rank there will make her stand out when she applies to grad schools. It also shows us that she really can compete against the brightest and the best even though she is from small town NC. Besides, we know that our money is well-spent on her education when she is performing so well.</p>
<p>I am all for class rank as long as it is calculated using a weighted system to reward those who take the hardest courses.</p>