Class Rank
Admissions officers list a student's class rank as the fourth
most important factor in college admissions. Only 45% of American
high schools maintain class rankings, so don't be overly
concerned if your school doesn't employ them—you're actually in
the majority. Most small or private high schools don't use class
rank at all, and it is most prevalant at public schools with
enrollment of more than 1,500 students.
After declining steadily for a decade, the percentage of
officers who categorized class rank as of "moderate or
considerable" importance increased in 2002. Through the 1990's,
admissions departments lost faith in the validity of class rank
due to imbalances in curricula and the extra weight given to
advanced courses. Over the past year, though, many large state
universities began using rank again after abandoning race-based
admissions programs.
If your high school does maintain rankings, be aware that they
are still a major criterion in college admissions—especially
within certain categories of schools. The colleges that place the
most importance on class rank are private institutions. 78%
replied that it is of "moderate or considerable importance." The
other colleges that consider rank heavily are those that are
aggressive and competitive in their recruitment. Do these sound
like any of your target schools?
