“When I first found out my rank during the summer of freshman year, I was a little disappointed. But, that’s because I didn’t really know that it was a big achievement to be top 1%. But as high school went on, I felt more accomplished knowing I was able to maintain it,” said senior Hargun Ahluwalia, who’s in the top one percent of her class.

In hopes of achieving a better class rank, students at Judson High School are in constant competition with each other during their high school years. 

Junior Daniella Guerra Yera stated, “I’ve always felt some level of competition, but it really intensified in sophomore year when rankings started being discussed. Suddenly, I found myself comparing GPA, class rank and college talk with my peers much more than before.”

Without realizing it, a lot of students compete amongst each other. Although the majority of students don’t feel the competitiveness until their last two years of high school, in reality it is always there pushing them to their academic limits.

“My interest in maintaining high grades began in elementary school, where my teachers inculcated [instilled] in me the importance of academic achievement as a key to unlocking future opportunities,” mentioned junior Dafny Reyes, who’s currently ranked number four in her class. 

Being constantly in competition leads students to taking action to be on top. There are plenty of different ways to get ahead, especially in high school where there are more options.

Senior Treanna Moss, who’s currently ranked four in her class, said, “To maintain my rank, I’ve taken as many AP classes as I felt I could handle. I also didn’t choose to get any off periods despite having enough credits to do so, as they can cause your rank to slip as well.”

Taking advanced classes isn’t the only thing helping students maintain or raise their class rank. Having a high rank requires having a high GPA, which in order to get, good grades must be achieved. 

“Maintaining high grades requires more than just intellectual capacity; it demands dedication, resilience, and a willingness to make sacrifices,” explained Reyes.

Staying consistent with grades is challenging not only because of the work, but because of other skills needed, including time management. In high school, knowing how to manage your time can be a necessity.

Junior Zane Santos, who has a class rank of three, mentioned, “The most difficult part about maintaining good grades for me is managing my time, as well as finding and making time for homework while also focusing on many extracurricular activities.”

Doing so much to stay on top is just one of the many things that occurs when dealing with competition. The way students interact with each other may also vary due to competing with one another. 

Ahluwalia said, “When it comes to assignments and notes, I try to help other kids in class because it feels like we are all on the same boat trying to survive these classes. And I’ve noticed this with other classmates too, everyone tries to help each other.”

It may be more common to help one another when stuck, but that doesn’t mean that it will always be the case. The competitive spirit is always there and everyone is trying to achieve their personal goals one way or another. 

“In group work, I thrive on collaboration… However, I also understand the competitive nature of AP classes and strive to stay focused on my own goals,” explained Reyes.

With everyone hoping to achieve their own goals, a lot of stress can be created. Using that same stress from the competition of class ranks and having good grades, students push themselves to accomplish more.

Guerra Yera said, “Overall, the competition can be stressful, but it motivates me. It pushes me to stay disciplined, prove to myself that I can perform at the same level as my peers and continue doing my best.”

Without competition, students wouldn’t challenge themselves as much as they do right now. Many students can agree that stress is an important factor in pushing forward.

“I’d say the competition aspect is what pushes me to try my hardest, even when I don’t feel like putting in the energy. It’s too easy to slip and let someone pass you,” discussed Moss.

The stress that comes with competition has its benefits but at the end of the day it is still stress, which may result in negative effects when dealt with for long periods of time. Taking everything into account, the competition students deal with do result in different outcomes, some being more motivational and others, more harmful, leading students to burnout quicker.