Should class rank be publicized to all students?

Just to make one thing clear, class ranking is not and should be used to belittle any student.  Class ranking, usually, will place students in a particular order, from highest to lowest grade point average or whatever other scoring system a particular school uses. These lists are usually not on a public display, but rather a way that students, guidance counselors, and college admission officers can gain a broader perspective on a specific student’s academic abilities. 

Currently, any existing ranking system at Schreiber is under strict privacy and is only used to keep track of the valedictorian, the student with the highest cumulative GPA, at the end of each grade’s senior year.  Thus, a list really only serves its purpose here at Schreiber, today, at graduation, similar to schools neighboring towns such as Manhasset High School.

According to the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the purpose of a ranking system has “the purpose of measuring and comparing student academic achievement and to promote fairness and equity in college admission procedures.”

The NASSP’s explanation of ranking systems also revealed that larger state schools, such as in Texas and California, started to require more admittances based off of class rank.  With thousands applications consisting of several writing supplements, transcripts, and activity records, class rank is helpful in determining the final verdict on a student’s admittance. 

Schreiber, especially, has a reputation amongst college admission directors for having an obscure GPA system due to the extra points that can be added from honors or AP level courses or honors projects.  The first time you try to calculate your own GPA using the system formatted on one of the first pages of the provided agenda, you will surely be a bit confused.  Not many high schools have GPAs going all the way up to a 5.0.  

If a ranking system were to be utilized here at Schreiber, it should not be on public display, but accessed for personal knowledge or sent to colleges once the time comes.  Having this information can help a student re-assess their standing in comparison to their peers. While many argue that comparing oneself to others is unhealthy, this can be helpful while considering education beyond high school, especially when colleges give statistics on accepted students’ class rank.  

“I don’t think that a ranking should be for everyone to see, but to know your own number may help put things into perspective,” said junior Sophie Lipstein. 

In the professional world, individuals are constantly compared to one another and while a fully structured ranking system may not exist at every business or be prevalent within every career path, competitiveness is a huge part of American culture. Having an understanding of where one stands academically and what it will take to improve oneself, to rise up in the ranks. 

Some may argue against a ranking system out of fear that a few tenths of a point can bump a student down the list come a difficult quarter. If student is thriving elsewhere in their academic career, if their GPA is still strong, they are active members in the community, and they have suitable amount credentials for the school they are applying to, a class rank will not hurt a college acceptance. If anything, a college will see just how competitive Schreiber is, which exemplifies that the student can still succeed in such an environment, which is inevitable to prevail in college level academics.