Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Why We Do Not Rank


When completing college applications you will find that most colleges will ask “What is your class rank?” and if they can’t get you to give them an exact rank they might also ask you for a percentile ranking. (Some schools may not ask you and may ask on the counselor form that I am required to complete for you.) The official answer is “We Do Not Rank.”

That is what I write on all of the forms that I complete for you and what you should indicate on your application – UNLESS you are one of the students with a grade point average of a 4.0 or higher for your high school career. If you have greater than a 4.0, then you are automatically ranked #1 in the class. (So yes, that would mean that there are multiple Seniors, Juniors, and Sophomores ranked first in their respective class.)

As you already know, WKHS is an academically competitive high school and we would not want a class ranking to hurt you in any way. For example, this year, a 3.75 GPA ranks as a top 20% at Kilbourne, but at a less competitive school might rank in the top 5 or 10%. So, unless you have a 4.0 or better, do yourself a favor and write “Do Not Rank” when completing your applications.

And, for those of you who really want to know what your current class rank is – you can see it in PrepHQ as the data has now been updated. You can also view your current grade point average there too. Sorry for the delay in getting that information updated. Please, please, please, remember that no one else will see your class rank and we do not release it so it is NOT a reason to worry or be upset if your rank is not as high as you would have expected or guessed.

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