BY CAMILA FERNANDEZ
Behind every pair of Vans and slides, Airpod, JanSport backpack, scrunchie, jersey, lanyard, and underneath the endless amount of superficial things that distinguish the students of Cooper City High School, there is still an attribute that exists in every single one of them. This is a trait that burns deep inside, fueling them to do better every day: determination.
Whether it be in a classroom, on the field or amongst friends, teenagers at CCHS and across the nation feel this daily pressure to achieve their goals in order to impress their family and even themselves. While pressure is an excellent source of fuel for motivation, a particular ancient institution exists at many high schools that excessively strains students, often making them feel as though their best is not enough.
Class rank was born into the education system as an indicative of students’ academic abilities. By grouping high schoolers by grade level and ranking, every student is given a class rank based on their grade point average (GPA).
The class rank system is said to efficiently award the highest-ranking students with more college opportunities, and ultimately the “number one” with the title of “valedictorian.” However, with every passing year, class ranking is being deemed less and less important in college applications. As a matter of fact, only 1 in 3 college admissions counselors classified class rank as somewhat influential.
Universities now, more than ever, need “well-rounded” students who not only try their best in the classroom, but are consistently involved in extracurriculars and in the community and are innovative and creative thinkers.
As a matter of fact, only 1 in 3 college admissions counselors classified class rank as somewhat influential.
At CCHS, class rank is based solely on weighted GPA, so students can raise their rank not only by achieving high grades, but by achieving those grades in high-level classes, such as Advanced Placement (AP) and Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) courses.
A majority of these classes are associated with derivations from the four core subjects: math, science, social studies and English. This means that students chasing a high rank may oftentimes sacrifice creative courses that they are interested in only because it may bring down their GPA. For instance, AP Calculus may warrant the GPA boost they desire, but it may not even be close to the subject area they want to pursue in college.
Although many adults may agree that the four years of high school are unimportant in the long run, it is almost impossible to believe that assumption from a student’s viewpoint, especially when they are labeled with a number from the moment they enter high school and placed in a “there can only be one” scenario. What many adults may further fail to realize is the toll this system takes on teenagers’ mental health.
This system establishes the school environment for students as a never-ending competition with their peers, where “winner takes all.” Teenagers beat themselves up mentally everyday, feeling as though they have to enroll in as many AP and AICE courses as possible to maintain their rank, later struggling to juggle everything and almost crumbling from the pressure. Stress racks their minds and can hold them back from focusing on and accomplishing feats in other aspects of their lives such as sports, music, art or theater. They find themselves making sacrifices to sustain the high expectations they have made for themselves.
Students in the top 10 percent of a class especially feel the academic burden on their shoulders in every single test they take, every assignment they turn in and every sleepless night that goes unnoticed.
“I definitely feel that I’m a very anxious, stressed and insecure person, and that a lot of it comes from the academic pressure from the competition found everywhere at school.”
Junior class valedictorian Ander Diez
“I definitely feel that I’m a very anxious, stressed and insecure person, and that a lot of it comes from the academic pressure from the competition found everywhere at school,” junior class valedictorian Ander Diez said.
Many students have hours upon hours of schoolwork from the second they get home to, oftentimes, past midnight. It ends up being very misleading to single out the top 10 of a class, because there is almost always a miniscule difference between the GPAs of those students. These differences, for example, may be as small as 0.02 or even 0.01 gaps. The top-of-the-class students battle over these tiny differences, just so they can claim and identify themselves with the overrated notion of “valedictorian” or “salutatorian.”
Academic pressure should not be condemned. In fact, it can be very healthy in motivating students to reach their highest point. However, there are simply more collaborative and accurate methods of rewarding those that exceptionally performed throughout their four years of high school.
Entering students into a four-year long race is not the correct way. It only emphasizes rivalries and magnifies stress. Students already must handle unsurmountable amounts of work, exams, stress and external pressures as they transition through each grade level. Schools as a whole should focus more on honoring high-achieving groups of students as one, rather than one individual. More and more schools are transitioning into this method, and the effects are astounding.
The flame of determination that burns inside each and every individual is only growing and being fed, as it should be.
Photo by Anabella Garcia
