<p>You’re right, ADad, it was a mess just prior to commencement. (In fact, she wants to see her h.s. abolish class rank because of that fiasco!) Now I’m sorry that I even brought that up…That is all behind us now, though, and my point was really just to say that my daughter’s class rank, whether from a small rural h.s. or from a prestigious university does show how well she endures competition. She always has and will continue to strive to do her best, no matter how talented the pool of other students may be. In fact, she has always been her own fiercest competitor. Had she not finished in at least the top 3 of her h.s. class, I do not feel that Duke would have given her a chance. They wanted to see more than just GPA and standardized scores. Now that she is succeeding at Duke, having a class rank each semester actually further motivates her to work even harder. </p>
<p>And totally off topic…but always present on her parents’ minds…
Students from small rural high schools do not seem to get the opportunities for merit scholarships like those from the better known prep schools. Her dad and I had hoped that she would be eligible for a merit scholarship based on her outstanding college performance thus far. No luck with that… She is hoping that maintaining a high class rank at Duke will bode well for a fellowship to attend grad school.</p>