Why Class Rank Matters Less Than You Think

Written by Megan Dorsey on March 29, 2019. Posted in Academic Success, College Admission.

In this video I discuss the top 10% rule for admission to state universities in Texas. (Yes, in this case rank matters.) But when students want to apply to private colleges or universities out of state, rank is almost a non-factor. I also discuss what really matters:

Grades
Classes taken

Students should focus on taking the right classes– core academic choices first with an appropriate level of challenge. I mention how in some cases taking classes to try to “look good to colleges” or boost your rank can backfire. Finally, those students at the very top of their classes considering the most selective colleges need to understand that rank may mean very little. I share a story of a student I worked with who was #19 in his class and got into MIT when other students ranked above him did not. ]]>

class rank, college admission, grades, selecting the right classes

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Patty Chubon

March 29, 2019 at 11:04 pm

Very good information. I didn’t realize the top 10 rule was just in Texas. Unfortunately our daughter does have her eyes set on a couple of good Texas Universities that are so tough to get into, so we are closely watching her rank. But we are very aware of our daughter having a good and well rounded resume to include extracurricular activities, jobs, volunteer hours, and clubs.

Why Class Rank Matters Less Than You Think

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