diff --git a/src/components/admin/round/ranking-dashboard.tsx b/src/components/admin/round/ranking-dashboard.tsx
index bb317e3..ef1ec29 100644
--- a/src/components/admin/round/ranking-dashboard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/admin/round/ranking-dashboard.tsx
@@ -425,10 +425,14 @@ export function RankingDashboard({ competitionId: _competitionId, roundId }: Ran
       const dedupedStartup = dedup(startup)
       const dedupedConcept = dedup(concept)
 
-      // Sort by compositeScore descending — ensures display order matches the formula
-      // regardless of how the snapshot was originally generated (AI vs formula).
-      dedupedStartup.sort((a, b) => b.compositeScore - a.compositeScore)
-      dedupedConcept.sort((a, b) => b.compositeScore - a.compositeScore)
+      // Sort by avgGlobalScore descending (the metric displayed to the admin), with
+      // compositeScore as tiebreaker.  This ensures the visible ordering matches the
+      // numbers on screen AND the threshold cutoff line lands correctly (it checks
+      // avgGlobalScore, so the list must be sorted by that same metric).
+      dedupedStartup.sort((a, b) =>
+        (b.avgGlobalScore ?? 0) - (a.avgGlobalScore ?? 0) || b.compositeScore - a.compositeScore)
+      dedupedConcept.sort((a, b) =>
+        (b.avgGlobalScore ?? 0) - (a.avgGlobalScore ?? 0) || b.compositeScore - a.compositeScore)
 
       // Track original order for override detection (same effect = always in sync)
       const order: Record<string, number> = {}
@@ -944,7 +948,7 @@ export function RankingDashboard({ competitionId: _competitionId, roundId }: Ran
                 let cutoffIndex = -1
                 if (isThresholdMode) {
                   // Find the FIRST project that does NOT meet the threshold — cutoff goes before it.
-                  // Works correctly when list is sorted by compositeScore (which correlates with avgGlobalScore).
+                  // Works correctly because localOrder is sorted by avgGlobalScore (the same metric).
                   const firstFailIdx = localOrder[category].findIndex((id) => {
                     const e = rankingMap.get(id)
                     return (e?.avgGlobalScore ?? 0) < threshold
@@ -993,7 +997,9 @@ export function RankingDashboard({ competitionId: _competitionId, roundId }: Ran
                                 initial={{ opacity: 0, y: 20 }}
                                 animate={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
                                 exit={{ opacity: 0, y: -20 }}
-                                className={isAdvancing ? 'rounded-lg bg-emerald-50 dark:bg-emerald-950/20' : ''}
+                                className={isAdvancing
+                                  ? 'rounded-lg bg-emerald-50 border-l-4 border-emerald-400 dark:bg-emerald-950/20 dark:border-emerald-600'
+                                  : ''}
                               >
                                 <SortableProjectRow
                                   projectId={projectId}