“I’m not good enough”; a phrase ingrained into America’s youth, seen especially in academic settings around our country. One main contributor leading to this kind of thinking is the class rankings that have been plastered onto students around me, as well as my peers in other areas.

Every semester, a student’s Individualized Graduation Plan is handed to them, showing their rank among classmates and reducing them to a number based solely on GPA. This doesn’t consider their talent in sports, or arts, their other interests, or any other aspect of life unrelated to test scores. Students do not receive regular reports about how kind they are, or how hard they are trying. Instead, they receive reports on academics, defining their value. This ranking promotes unhealthy desires for academic success and fosters mental health issues in budding students across the country.

Along with many other students that have been affected by class rankings, I believe they are detrimental to students’ well-being, and as such, should be removed entirely. Gemard Guery of Jonathan Law High School talks about how many students are negatively impacted by class rank in his LA Times opinion piece. For example, he mentions that “Class rank prevents students from exploring their interests.” Rylea Townsend, a student of Saucon Valley High School further proves this, as she writes in her school newspaper about how “Students would rather take AP Calculus, despite wanting to be a writer, than creative writing, because it will boost their GPA.” It seems that many students are in agreement with the fact that class rank has a negative impact on growth and, instead of helping students follow their interests, it creates an unhealthy obsession with academic success. 

Such a preoccupation with “making the grade” takes a toll on students’ mental health. Adelphi Psych Medical Clinic mentions that “Whenever they fail to perform, these children begin dealing with anxiety and abnormal levels of stress that could eventually contribute to depression.” These Singapore schools, where the research takes place, contain similar issues of hypercompetitiveness plaguing the educational system. This type of competitive motivation, stemming from class ranks, is often seen as a good thing. However, it tends to affect students adversely, as it consistently leads students to experience mental health issues.

The mental health of the next generation of future leaders is of the utmost importance, and the idea of failure and academic obsession that is connected with class ranks can lead to depression and anxiety because of one substandard test score. As a society, together, we must remove the emphasis on class ranks to reduce competition's effect on students and their mental health, ensuring the success of future generations.

Works Cited:

Guery, Gemard. “Opinion: Class Rank System Does More Harm than Good.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2023, highschool.latimes.com/jonathan-law-high-school/opinion-class-rank-system-does-more-harm-than-good/#:~:text=Class%20rank%20prevents%20students%20from,more%20about%20what%20they%20like.

 
“How Is Excessive Competitiveness Harming You?” Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic, 16 July 2019, adelphipsych.sg/how-is-excessive-competitiveness-harming-you/#:~:text=Stress%2C%20jealousy%20and%20anxiety%20are,anxious%20about%20going%20to%20school.

 
Townsend, Rylea. “Class Rank Is Holding US BACK.” Panther Press, 29 Mar. 2023, sauconpanther.org/3328/opinion/class-rank-is-holding-us-back/.