For years, high schools have posted class rankings as a way to recognize how each student’s GPA compares to their classmates’ and motivate students to work competitively, but according to the National Association of Secondary School Principals, nearly half of all American high schools have abandoned this class ranking system for alternatives, such as designating high performing students with Latin honors or implementing a system that groups students based on their GPA.
In the same way student athletes are motivated by competition with other teams, the class ranking system gives students who focus on academics an opportunity to compete. The school is not insisting that students are defined by their GPA or attempting to exclude those with lower grades, but this type of competition continues to be a part of life after high school, and students who learn to embrace it will be more successful later on in life.
Information about a student’s class ranking is also helpful when applying to college and taking advantage of scholarship opportunities. Depending on their major, students who graduate first in their class are able to receive a tuition waiver for the first two semesters at a public university, and students who graduate in the top 10% of their class are automatically accepted into any Texas public university, excluding the University of Texas at Austin, who currently accepts the top 5%.
Although some feel that the ranking system causes unnecessary stress, it is important that students learn to deal with pressure that they will continue to experience for the rest of their lives. Forcing students to contend with difficulty will only help to prepare them for the challenges they will inevitably face moving forward.
As a student who has been motivated by the class ranking system, I do not believe that I would put as much emphasis on academics if I wasn’t motivated by competition. The school should continue to utilize the class ranking system to motivate students and help them understand how their grades compare to their classmates’.