<p>However, a rank of “only” top 15% may be the bigger issue when it comes to super selective colleges which use rank as a very important criterion for selection. Some claim that applicants to such schools need to be at the minimum top 2% (preferably top 2) to have a chance as an unhooked applicant, and minimum top 10% (higher is better, obviously) as a hooked applicant (typically recruited athlete, legacy, URM).</p>
<p>Indeed, such a rank may be an issue even for some state universities, such as University of Texas - Austin, which admits 3/4 of its freshman class from the top 8-9% of Texas high schools.</p>