At most high schools in the U.S., a single number can define a student’s academic standing. However, St. Mark’s does not calculate or report a class rank. Instead, it emphasizes academic context, individual growth and collaboration over a simple numerical comparison.
For Al G. Hill, Jr. ’63 Director of College Counseling Veronica Pulido, the reasoning behind this decision is rooted in both fairness and practicality.
“The main reason for not (including a class rank) is that the distinction between students would be so minute that it wouldn’t make a lot of sense, and honestly, it would disadvantage students in terms of what a class ranking actually provides to a college,” Pulido said.
For high schools that are relatively small, it makes much more sense not to give a class ranking and to instead give the continuous context of an individual student. This ensures that colleges view the student’s entire application rather than focusing merely on class ranking to determine outcomes.
To make up for the absence of the class ranking system, the school provides colleges with broader academic context, giving admissions offices a clearer picture of who students are and how they have challenged themselves.
“We provide to the colleges the information in terms of who we are, courses available, the rigor of curriculum and then a weighted GPA for the student,” Pulido said. “Our students have found great success: so if it’s not broken, then we’re probably not going to change anything.”
Beyond college admissions, administrators also consider how class rank could affect campus culture. In an already demanding academic environment, adding another metric of comparison could shift students’ motivations in unhealthy ways.
“If we were to put another idea of class ranking, there could be a sense of ‘I need to do something against my fellow classmates’ versus ‘I need to be the best person I am,’” Pulido said. “So that definitely would go beyond or against our mission and vision of the institution.”
Students on campus largely echo that sentiment. Senior Cooper Guiler, who has recently dealt with the lengthy and demanding college admissions process, said the absence of rank reduces pressure while keeping academics competitive in a healthier way.
“I think not having rank, there’s still, of course, a little bit of trauma over, ‘oh, there are a bunch of people applying to this college,’ but that’s about it,” Guiler said. “Overall, it’s a pretty friendly environment, academically.”
Senior Zach Huang added that not ranking students allows them to prioritize experiences in lieu of just grades.
“At most schools with ranking systems, when the ranks are released and you can see where you are in comparison to other people, it often fosters an unhealthy and negative situation,” Huang said. “I think (not including a class rank) allows us to invest more time into things outside of academics.”
Without class rank, success is measured less by a number and more by the person behind it, a philosophy the school has upheld for decades and will continue to uphold for many more.
