Interlake High School Ranking for College Admissions

I’ve Read Dozens of Applications from Interlake — Here’s What Actually Matters

As a former admissions officer who read applications from the Bellevue and Seattle, I can tell you that Interlake High School stands out. 

The school performs well in national rankings, offers a rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) program, and serves a highly capable, diverse student body. 

But that’s not really what matters in admissions. When Interlake apps landed on our desks, we didn’t compare them to national averages. We compared them to other Interlake students. That’s the piece most families miss.

College admissions is about how your student performs within the context of their school, not about attending a “top-ranked” high school. 

Here’s how it works.

Interlake High School Ranking

Niche ranks Interlake…

• #14 Best Public High Schools in Washington
  
  
• #22 Best High Schools for STEM in Washington
  
  
• Overall Grade: A
  
  
• College Prep: A+
  
  

U.S. News & World Report ranks it…

• #3 in Washington
  
  
• #181 in National Rankings
  
  
• STEM Ranking: #216
  
  
• Overall Score: 98.98/100
  
  

Interlake’s placement near the top of state and national lists is well-deserved. 

But selective colleges don’t rely on these rankings. Instead, they look closely at Interlake’s school profile, which tells them what rigor, achievement, and impact actually look like in this particular school environment.

Interlake School Profile: What It Tells Admissions Officers

Your counselor sends a school profile along with your transcript when they submit your materials via the Common App. 

You can read Interlake’s full 2024–2025 school profile here.

Here’s what matters most from an admissions standpoint:

• Unweighted GPA only — No weighted GPA is reported.
  
  
• No class rank — Admissions officers must infer rank based on course rigor and GPA distribution.
  
  
• IB World School — All students take a 2-year IB Language Arts sequence, and many complete multiple IB classes.
  
  
• Advanced Learning cohort — 40% of students complete the full IB Diploma Program early (in grades 10–11).
  
  
• Average IB score: 34 points; 16% of scores were 7s (the highest possible).
  
  
• AP exams still offered: In 2024, students took 1,729 AP exams, with 73% scoring a 4 or 5.
  
  
• National Merit recognition: 37 semifinalists and 33 finalists in 2024 — unusually high.
  
  

All of this gives admissions officers a detailed framework for understanding each student’s academic context. And it’s clear that Interlake’s academic context is a really rigorous one. 

How Admissions Officers Read Interlake Applications

Selective schools evaluate Interlake applicants alongside each other.

Here's how that works:

• Step 1: The School Group
  All Interlake applicants are read together. Admissions officers will sort them by GPA and rigor, using the school profile to make sense of both.
  
  
• Step 2: Rigor Evaluation
  At Interlake, “most demanding” means multiple IB HL courses, probably including the Diploma, plus stellar performance. A student taking just a few IB SL courses may not stand out, even if that same schedule would look strong at another school.
  
  
• Step 3: Benchmarking
  Officers compare current applicants to previous years from Interlake. If Interlake has sent three students to a particular college over the past few years, AOs will ask: Is this student on par?

Bottom line: Just attending Interlake isn’t a “hook.” You need to make the most of what’s available to you in your school context.

Strategic Takeaways for Interlake Families

For Prospective Families:

Interlake offers one of the most rigorous academic environments in Washington State. If your student is ready to pursue a high volume of IB and AP coursework, Interlake can open doors. The Advanced Learning track is particularly well-suited to future STEM or CS majors who want early college-level training.

For Current Interlake Students:

If your goal is admission to a top-25 school, you’ll need to:

• Take the most rigorous courses available to you (especially IB HL classes).
  
  
• Aim for an unweighted GPA of 3.9 or higher.
  
  
• Cultivate high-magnitude extracurriculars that stand out within your pee.
  
  
• Consider an impactful senior year experience — such as a Running Start dual enrollment class or an original research/passion project.
  
  

Selective colleges will know how Interlake operates — and they’ll expect you to rise to the level of its top students.

Final Thoughts (and a Next Step)

Interlake is a high-performing school with a strong academic culture and a track record of college success. But in admissions, what matters isn’t where you go to high school — it’s how you show up in that context.

If you want help crafting a college application that stands out at a school like Interlake, we can help. At Sierra Admissions, our team includes former admissions officers who’ve read hundreds of files from top public schools like this one.

👉 Book a consult with a former admissions officer — and get a personalized strategy for your student.