How good is being in the top 20% of your class?

Hi everyone! I'm currently ranked in the top 20% of my class, and I'm wondering if that's a good standing for college admissions? How important is class rank for top schools? Should I be aiming for a higher percentile?

Being in the top 20% of your class is generally considered a strong position, but its importance depends on the specific school to which you're applying and the relative competitiveness of your high school.

Many colleges, especially highly selective ones, consider class rank as just one aspect of your application alongside other factors such as grades, course rigor, test scores, extracurricular involvement, and essays. And some schools, including Harvard, don't consider class rank at all, as they don't feel the metric is that useful, given that high schools can vary widely in terms of rigor and grading scale.

It's important to research the specific schools you are interested in, to get a better idea of what they value in their admissions process. The Common Data Set would be a great resource for you, as this document breaks down a particular school's admissions practices in detail. Simply google "[school] common data set," then search for "rank" on the PDF or Excel sheet, to see how much weight that factor is given.

That said, aiming to improve your class rank is always a good idea, especially if you are targeting top-tier colleges. You can do so by improving your grades, taking more challenging coursework, or both. At the same time, keep in mind that academics are just one piece of the application puzzle, so you'll also want to focus on your extracurricular activities, essays, and other factors that can help you stand out as an applicant.

In summary, being in the top 20% is a solid position, but if you're aiming for highly selective schools, it's ideal to strive for a higher percentile if possible. But remember that not all schools consider class rank, so make sure to also develop and showcase your passions and achievements in other areas of your application.

For a more comprehensive overview of class rank, and its importance in the admissions process, check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/what-is-class-rank-and-why-is-it-important/. Good luck with everything!