What does "top of your class/rank #1" really mean?

[What's Up Doc]

What does "top of your class" really mean? How aren't there at least 2 people with a 4.0 at every school? Are they both considered rank #1/top of their class? I've heard people say that they have a 4.0 and are only ranked in the top 5%, how is that possible? Just curious because someone asked me if I was top of my class at my community college and I feel like a 4.0 shouldn't give me that title because I'm sure a ton of other people also have it. (I know it's irrelevant, especially at a CC, I've just always wondered about the terminology.)

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[NoDakDok]

Assuming they both have the same academic credentials, it tends to me there are "ties" for Rank #1/top of the class.

When I graduated from high school, for example, there were ~20-some odd people with 4.0s. That means 20~ people receive rank #1 and the next person would be whatever his/her GPA ranks (e.g. #26).

 

[nOchemallday]

It can be defined as highest GPA among "all people that graduate in your year," but typically it refers to the top GPA'd student in a given major. This is also how many schools define latin honors (eg. Summa cum laude, etc.) - based on GPA in your major. The way that GPA is calculated is based on some percentile of GPAs in the major, so for example magna cum laude is the top 25%, summa cum laude is the top 10%. I don't personally know of any colleges that explicitly rank their students, only those that use percentiles. For smaller majors it's pretty obvious who is "first" in their class. There are only 18 chemistry majors in my year at my school - you take all the same classes together. The kid who always does incredibly well in every class = "1st in his class." (Note: none of us have a 4.0 though)

 

[AspiringERMD]

I went to a small liberal arts school, and I was the only 4.0 the year I graduated. Same with my ex-boyfriend the year he graduated from there.

 

[Aerus]

I define "top of your class" as Summa Cum Laude (if your school has it). It's pointless to debate about #1 in my opinion.

 

[VanEman]

My university allows grades of A+. Some don't. So the kids at the "top of the class" at my university could have a GPA as high as 4.3. But AMCAS and AACOMAS don't allow the "+" . That's bad news for me.

 

[FFH]

My university allows grades of A+. Some don't. So the kids at the "top of the class" at my university could have a GPA as high as 4.3. But AMCAS and AACOMAS don't allow the "+" . That's bad news for me.

Same here. My real GPA is >4. Needless to say after conversion, I'm now <4. 🙂 But then again, not sure it makes a difference. Once GPA hits 3.85, (and with MCAT>35) then it's all game of EC and life stories.

 

[Narmerguy]

I define "top of your class" as Summa Cum Laude (if your school has it). It's pointless to debate about #1 in my opinion.

That's certainly not how the majority of society defines "top of your class", and people should not blankly use this in reference to themselves unless they are, in fact, at the top of their class. Alternate ways to express this would be "among the top of your class" or "near the top of your class" or "with highest honors" (AKA summa cum laude) or simply "good".

 

[Aerus]

That's certainly not how the majority of society defines "top of your class", and people should not blankly use this in reference to themselves unless they are, in fact, at the top of their class. Alternate ways to express this would be "among the top of your class" or "near the top of your class" or "with highest honors" (AKA summa cum laude) or simply "good".

But that's just what I mean. If someone was "AT the very top" of their class (just single person), then they would be #1 in every class they take (aka get the highest score). However, that would work better if everyone were actually in the same class. With different majors, classes, professors, and even TA's, I don't think #1 is all that different from top X. I just chose an arbitrary selection factor.

Now in high school or in med school where curriculum is more standardized, I say "top of your class" is simply #1.

 

[Ace-Co-A]

That's certainly not how the majority of society defines "top of your class", and people should not blankly use this in reference to themselves unless they are, in fact, at the top of their class. Alternate ways to express this would be "among the top of your class" or "near the top of your class" or "with highest honors" (AKA summa cum laude) or simply "good".

@Narmerguy slays me.

 

[Mad Jack]

They differentiated at my school based on number of credits taken- whichever 4.0 student graduating with the most credits was top of the class and so on and so forth. There were never ties for number 1, but there was a system in place to deal with that based on the person who took less time to achieve the highest number of credits. If that was also equal, they'd have to share because seriously, why split hairs at that point.

 

[Ace-Co-A]

They differentiated at my school based on number of credits taken- whichever 4.0 student graduating with the most credits was top of the class and so on and so forth. There were never ties for number 1, but there was a system in place to deal with that based on the person who took less time to achieve the highest number of credits. If that was also equal, they'd have to share because seriously, why split hairs at that point.

Dude I keep forgetting to ask what you are? M1?

 

[V5RED]

For an official designation of top of the class, it depends on the rules of your school. For what should really be called top of the class, there is no way to really determine that. People take different course loads(180 credits of 4.0>120 credits of 4.0 assuming equally difficult classes), achieve different things(research, starting clubs, etc.), have different adversities to overcome, etc.

 

[Mad Jack]

Dude I keep forgetting to ask what you are? M1?

I study so much I don't even know what day it is, let alone what year

 

[Danbo1957]

Summa Cum Laude or Highest Honors means top 10% of the class. "Top of the class" usually means top 5%. A adding the word "very", as in "very top of the class", means ranked No. 1-- usually seen as 1/150 on a cv (for a class of 150 students).

 

[Teleologist]

There are only 18 chemistry majors in my year at my school - you take all the same classes together. The kid who always does incredibly well in every class = "1st in his class." (Note: none of us have a 4.0 though)

What class or classes tripped you guys up?

 

[VanEman]

Summa Cum Laude or Highest Honors means top 10% of the class. "Top of the class" usually means top 5%. A adding the word "very", as in "very top of the class", means ranked No. 1-- usually seen as 1/150 on a cv (for a class of 150 students).

Wrong. Every school has its own way of doing it. My school lets 5% be summa, next 5% magna, some schools base it on GPA without a percent limitation.

 

[Danbo1957]

Medical school, champ; not undergraduate.

 

[VanEman]

Medical school, champ; not undergraduate.

Same deal, whether its med school or undergrad. Each school has its own way. Here's Northwestern's Feinberg Medical School definition of what "Summa Cum Laude" means at their school: Summa Cum Laude: For students academically ranked in the top 5 percent of their graduating class