For years and years at Hillcrest High School and many other schools, class rank has been a norm. Class rank refers to comparing grade point averages of students in the same graduating class. I’ve seen the “Hall of Fame” wall at Hillcrest that has pictures of previous Valedictorians and Salutatorians including my sister’s friends from 2018, years before that and still currently. Being praised and having your picture hung up for future generations to see can be a big motivator. The person with the highest GPA is ranked #1 out of all the students. According to the curriculum handbook of Bremen Community High School District 228 in the school year 2023-2024, “In calculating class rank, an “A” in an Advanced Placement course will be weighted at 6.4 points…class rank will be calculated at the end of each semester…[and] awards are based on the seventh semester ranking.” What all of this means is taking the highest level class- an AP class or even honors or other rigorous courses, can help get a student a higher GPA than others if they receive an A. Awards being based on senior year can make a student strive for “harder” level classes starting their freshmen year. Another factor that helps students obtain a higher GPA is a pass/fail form. Pass/Fail forms considers students who get an A, B or C in an elective course and/or gym as having passed the course instead of a letter grade. What this does is it actually helps boost the student’s GPA by not including that class in the calculation. This is because that class has a lower point value and it could potentially decrease the average if it were included. In my case, always trying to keep my GPA high has brought its ups and downs when it comes to my high school experiences. This is why I have mixed feelings about class rank.
Starting off with some positivity or the “pros” of class rank being in effect would of course have to be the feeling. When I was Valedictorian in eighth grade, I was so proud of myself and it felt like I was on cloud nine. I felt praised for once and I loved having the attention. I felt as if my hard work wasn’t all for nothing. I also enjoyed winning a scholarship for my success. Therefore, when I went to high school, I tried to work as hard as I could so I could feel that happiness again. When talking to a student at Hillcrest High School, Caimora Montgomery, who is also in the top ten of the class of 2025, she mentioned, “It gives someone something to strive for and it also gives people opportunities because of their rank. For example, last school year the top sixty students got a chance to have SAT prep by tutors for both math and reading for free.” Having a higher class rank can help students get more recognition for opportunities such as preparing for the SAT, college fairs, scholarships, etc. It also can motivate students to do better in their classes because they want that recognition and they don’t want poor grades.
Although class rank has its perks, just like everything in life…it also can be negative. School has put a lot of mental and physical strain on my health. I’ve had countless nights worrying about if my grade is good enough and what my rank is. I’ve lost sleep staying up at night to do work for all my classes. Every time I would get any grade lower than a 100, I would feel bad about myself. Today, I feel differently about it. I don’t think it’s okay that I lost sleep and would stress about a 99%. Competition with your peers can be very unhealthy for a student to constantly think about. You’re supposed to have fun in high school with your peers and go through struggles together. Class rank can cause negativity and broken friendships because of the constant rivalry between students. When talking to another current senior, K’Mahria Vaughn about how she feels about class rank she mentioned, “At the end of the day, we’ll all graduate and colleges won’t care about your ranking in high school. A number telling you how much your worth isn’t good for students.” Seeing your ranking as how much you’re worth can cause low self-esteem in others. It can make someone feel like they’re not good in school or at anything in life. However, school is for students to get their education no matter what their rank is or what classes they took.
To sum it all up, class ranking in schools has its pros and cons for students. The feeling of happiness on graduation day can also come with bad mental and physical health. In this years handbook, it says that the class of 2028 and beyond will no longer have class rank. They also won’t be able to have pass/fail and every class will be taken as a grade. There are mixed feelings from students about whether or not this is a good decision. In the end, there won’t be competition between students and students can start to focus on understanding material instead of getting a good grade for it. However, there also won’t be a Valedictorian or a Salutatorian to praise for their achievements on graduation day.
