The Future of Class Ranking

By Cielo Corona Castro

Staff Writer

Meet The Writer

Recent information from the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) shows that more than 50% of high schools nationwide no longer report class ranking.  With these recent changes, SOAR High School is considering the possibility of eliminating class rank to reflect the needs of our school community.

Class rank is a system that compares a student’s GPA to that of their peers. There are two prominent types of ranking: weighted and unweighted. Unweighted ranks students by using their unweighted GPA on a scale of 0 to 4.0, not influenced by the difficulty of their courses. On the other hand, weighted ranking is determined by the student’s weighted GPA, usually from a scale of 0 to 5.0, taking into account the difficulty of courses. For instance, taking honors or AP classes would likely make a person’s weighted class rank better than the unweighted.

The approach of class rank has been important in the context of college applications, scholarships, and high school honors. Ranking offers a way for colleges to put an individual’s GPA into context, and it also provides them with insight into their academic abilities. Some scholarships require applicants to achieve a specific class rank or percentile in order to be eligible; it can be used as a criterion for academic judgment. Honors can also be awarded for those at the top of the class, such as the valedictorian (#1) and salutatorian (#2).

Currently, only about half of the high schools in the United States provide class rank. Some schools believe that providing this classification encourages students to take easier classes to boost their ranking, as well as raising concerns that it places students outside of certain percentiles at a disadvantage when applying for further education. As a result, many colleges are assigning a student’s class rank less importance when reviewing applications; instead, the focus may shift to components such as GPA, the rigor of the classes, high school transcripts, and standardized test scores.

Pupil Services Technician Mrs. Galindo stated, “I believe that eliminating class rank would be greatly beneficial to students as well as their mental health. Most graduating classes are between 100-115 students, and differences in GPA are minor, with this year the highest being 4.71. The top 50% of the class has a weighted GPA of 4.35 and above, meaning that the difference is only .36 between the top and the middle GPA. That is not a substantial difference. All graduating seniors have GPAs of 3.0 or higher. That means 100% of the class has at least a B average. In my experience, class rank strengthens a college application only for the Valedictorian. I think we would have to wait to see if a change like this would impact student acceptance across universities and colleges. I believe everyone needs to expand their college choices and options. Most students tend to focus on one or two "dream schools," but there are many paths to achieving your goals and obtaining a higher education. Their next college is just ONE step toward that direction. Most students are also pursuing graduate school too If that's the case, then they have another opportunity to attend schools they think are prestigious. I also want students to know that acceptance rates vary greatly depending on what you're majoring in. There's more to schools than just the brand name. Hopefully, the change could be implemented immediately.”

Junior Madeline Rasch-Herrera shared, “I believe it would be beneficial to students to eliminate class ranking because it would not dictate their academic worth. Having class ranks truly does not show what a person knows and their intelligence. So, without it, there would be no identified ranks and numbers. Especially at SOAR, students tend to have high GPAs, so the rank should not classify their chances of admission. I am for this change because personally, it would not change the opinion of my academic worth and intelligence. It simply does not mean the same thing as it once did. We are all on the same playing field, so no number will be able to depict that. Class rank truly has no meaning to me anymore because after 3 years of high school. I still know I am capable of anything without a rank attached to my name. I have seen people with higher ranks go to the same college as someone lower than them. If there are other ideas elsewhere, we should incorporate them as an opportunity to learn.”

According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), high school grades and a curriculum’s strength are the most important factors. Aspects considered for first-time freshmen also include the student’s positive character attributes, writing samples, recommendations, test scores, and more. However, the importance given to each factor varies between public and private institutions.

In order to guide the decision-making process on the matter, let's make sure to inform ourselves and contribute to the best option for SOAR’s students. After all, our individual needs vary in this ever-changing landscape.