To rank is to objectify. To rank is to delineate the worthy from the deplorable. 

     Each student is ranked. 

     For many students, the concept of a class rank is a source of pride, an arbitrary number able to be touted in college applications. Though in a class of over 300 students, a great many number must be relegated to the lower half; to these students, it is greatly unfair to subject them to this antiquated organizational burden.

     For the eager student, the pursuit of a greater ranking is an often unattainable objective. Students who have been enrolled in general classes or progressed no further than honors courses will typically remain inert as opposed to their AP peers, who can fill their schedule with several weighted courses. Academic mobility has long been troublesome, as according to the Guidance Office, the student’s class ranking is typically solidified in freshman and sophomore year, as there are more grades being input determining the success of students. 

     It is true that many non-selective AP courses have permitted previous students who have never before taken an AP class to boost their GPA(Grade Point Average). However, the disparate nature of general and AP classes often proves to be a deterrent, which even if overcome, is succeeded by an equally daunting learning curve. Moreover, classes that may offer valuable experience to a student are now disregarded in favor of weighted classes, according to Guidance Counselor Linnea Sherman.

     What a class rank exactly measures must be considered; moreover, how it is contrasted against the attributes of a good student is of proportional importance. The class rank considered only the GPA, a malleable value contingent upon the difficulty of studied subjects; APUSH will inflate the rank more so than a general U.S. history course. This is an inherently fair system, until a student’s extra-curricular activities and community involvement.

     An objective measurement of a student’s academic performance is already expressed within a student’s GPA; the class rank merely classifies students among each other, perverting an environment of education into one of competition.

     Yet, universities are just as interested in the renaissance student.  Not one who invests themselves in pure academics, but one who is willing to participate and become a community leader. 

     Each university “has its own criteria for acceptance” said the Guidance Office. Many schools have begun to allow students the option to report their own academics, or instead discuss their extracurricular accomplishments. Ultimately, as public schools stress the importance of college essays, SATs and class ranks become mere subsidiaries of the resume. 

     The merits of a student do not just lie in conventional studies, but the depth of commitment to their school.