<p>^That is exactly why the valedictorian race is a farce.’</p>
<p>In the end, no one cares. Not colleges, not your classmates, not even your family after a while. And when the smoke clears, will you, OP, be ready to see the damage in the wake of your actions?</p>
<p>To be honest, just study. When you and your competitor are in the same league there’s no need to decide who’s better.</p>
<p>^Truth</p>
<p>Does anyone even really care about valedictorian stuff anymore? I never hear the word in California. Maybe it’s more in other parts of the country. Just be in the top 5% of your class, and that’s perfect. Also, our college counselor says (and I’ve heard this elsewhere) that Ivy League schools and ones a level or two from that could fill their entire freshman classes with valedictorians and/or perfect SAT’s, but that’s not what they are looking for. My husband, who is over 50, said he was frustrated that he was second to the valedictorian, and she took all these easy classes, while he took tough ones. </p>
<p>“My husband, who is over 50, said he was frustrated that he was second to the valedictorian, and she took all these easy classes, while he took tough ones” Yes, I think often the valedictorian will be the person who figured out how to game the system the best. Which is usually different from the best scholar.</p>
<p>And, no, I don’t think people care very much unless there is a large scholarship riding on it. In that case, I could see making it a goal. I think these high schools would do everyone a big favor if they would stop micro-ranking students, and stop ranking students at all until junior year when they might need the info to plan for college. I’ve seen several posts like this one from freshmen that got good grades their first quarter and started planning how they’re going to become valedictorian, and I think it’s just sabotaging their high school experience.</p>