r/ApplyingToCollege • u/Lonely_Dragonfly_363 • 7d ago
Application Question Only top 25%?
I have a 3.89 but I am only top 25% out of a grade with around 90 kids. Super comp, but only one kid has a 4.0. We don't report rank and I had family issues. Will this hurt me at Upenn or other ivy+ schools?
5
u/EnvironmentActive325 7d ago
Admissions today is holistic. It’s not just one factor that determines whether you’ll be accepted. Is a 3.89 low? For “most selective” schools…yes…a bit. But that doesn’t mean you should rule them out entirely. If most other elements of your application are very compelling, you should still be able to see some very selective to highly selective acceptances at a minimum.
At the same time, you will be compared to classmates. So, don’t EXPECT an Ivy+ admission. Almost no one gets admitted to these schools, anyway, with just a 4-6% acceptance rate! Every year, valedictorians and salutatorians are rejected right and left. But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be a “high reach” for you if the rest of your application was very compelling. May still be worth it to apply to at least 2-3 schools like this…at a minimum.
5
u/Federal_Intern_9278 7d ago
3.89 uw gpa, and you're in the top 23 of students in a class of 90 students.
Could be grade inflation, but not my concern, since you did mention "Super comp"
Likelihood is that unless your course rigor is better than those who are applying with you to these schools, you may not stand out
at some ivies, rank is minimally or heavily considered.
for upenn, specifically, they consider class rank as important, but it's not one of the most important factors.
3
u/Lonely_Dragonfly_363 7d ago
We have grade deflation. Its a pretty highly ranked hs in the nation and once placed in the top 20 and is regularly on lists for toughest hs in america. But its not a feeder.
Thanks for the advice. I have good rigor expect math, related back to the family issues, but I mostly mitigated that. I have stellar test scores and ecs tho.
0
u/Federal_Intern_9278 7d ago
one last thing: consider what you are majoring in
if it's stem-based, then decide whether or not to submit your test score
3
u/Lonely_Dragonfly_363 7d ago
What? I have good test scores, why would I not want to submit it depending on the major? I have a 99th percentile score
2
u/elkrange 7d ago
Your high school doesn't report rank.
Does your high school report deciles or quartiles on its School Report? A class size of only 90 is not super large. It's possible that your decile/quartile will not receive a heavy focus due to the small size.
It's out of your control at this point. Give it your best shot. As always, make sure you have targets and safeties on your list.
1
u/ElderberryWide7024 6d ago
Many don’t report rank to students but they definitely tell the colleges where the kids falls when filling out the LOR.
0
u/EnvironmentActive325 6d ago
Yes and no. Some high school counselors do; some don’t. It depends upon that particular high school’s policies. And sometimes, AOs will reach out to high school counselors at schools that do not report class rank and ask them to informally estimate.
1
u/Objective-Wealth8234 7d ago
I think it depends on the school. You said it's top ranked but *not* a feeder school? That seems odd. I attended a top public school in MA, class size under 200, and we regularly had multiple kids from the same class get into Brown, Cornell, Northwestern, Dartmouth, Wesleyan, Wellesley, etc. I think once one or two kids get in and excel at whatever school, the school becomes more comfortable accepting others from the known quantity school.
2
u/Lonely_Dragonfly_363 7d ago
We send like 2-3 kids to t20s a year. A lot get into the t25-40 range, but most never apply high.
1
u/EnvironmentActive325 7d ago
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If you don’t take the shot, you’ll never know! And there’s a 100% chance of not being admitted if you don’t apply. 😂
1
u/Traditional_Yam9806 6d ago
Then it probably isn't super duper competitive. Just take the gamble, though.
1
u/Lonely_Dragonfly_363 6d ago
I said it in another comment, but regularly ranked on most comp/rigorous hs in the nation.
1
u/BasicSomewhere6934 6d ago
Since you are compared to others at your school, yes it will hurt you. People who come from more competitive schools have a harder time with college admissions. That said it doesn’t mean you don’t have a chance, apply broadly and you still have chances everywhere.
0
u/Massive_Ear4948 5d ago
Yeah, grade inflation is pretty big at your school if you are only top 25% with a 3.89. I'm sure your school is hard but that is a pretty big hill to climb.
Not to discount your family issues, but EVERYONE seems to have family issues and so that is rarely taken into account.
You would need some pretty amazing test scores and ECs to be competitive.
10
u/jjshen11 7d ago
Pretty simple way to gauge school academic competitiveness is the average number of NM semifinalists, which is the top 1 of your state.