<p>So I just finished my freshman year in high school and my GPA is a 98.75 out of 100 and my class last time I checked was 4/~200(i'm worried it might've went down a little because my GPA stayed the same). I'm really disappointed because my GPA should've went up to a 99 but because of a stupid test it's going to stay the same. I was just wondering do I still have a chance at being the Valedictorian (our current one has a 99.375) and if you were a Valedictorian, did you always have that status from freshman year or did you work your way up there? Did you intend on becoming one or did it just happen? Do you have any encouragement for me because I do feel like giving up after I found out about my GPA? Do you have any suggestions or study tips or experiences that you would like to share? ... anything would help. Its been my dream to be Valedictorian for a long time and I always feel like its out of reach? How hard was the battle at your school?</p>
<p>I’m not valedictorian or even close but I suggest… sabotage? Accuse all the people ahead of you of cheating, steal their homework, slander their names. </p>
<p>You’re a freshman. Take it easy. Just do your best and the best will win. That’s life.</p>
<p>giftedgenius…what a name.</p>
<p>Generally, freshman year is pretty easy regarding course rigor. Sophomore and Junior year is when students tend to separate and take harder classes. Just take the most challenging courses offered, and do as well as you can. Don’t stress over the title “Valedictorian” because rank 3 or 4 is nearly just as impressive. Colleges don’t make a big deal out of the title. They look at what classes you took, and what classes were available to you. Work hard and good luck!</p>
<p>You don’t need to be #1 to impress colleges, just work hard!</p>
<p>Good grades + good ECs > best grades + lame ECs. </p>
<p>I was Vale for Class of 14’ at my school. I wasn’t even paying attention to it really till 2 semester Junior year. Don’t stress yourself out over it like I did people who were rank 3,4,5,6 got into to the same colleges I did.</p>
<p>Are you serious lol? Your disappointed that your 98.75 GPA isn’t 99? You’re fine! I hate to rain on your parade, but a lot of schools won’t even consider what you did freshman year.</p>
<p>You’re only a Freshman. Chill tf out.</p>
<p>I’m a freshman too, but I can tell you from the history at my school being valedictorian is meaningless. In fact, the salutatorians actually have better luck with school admissions. Last year’s val went to the state flagship (still an excellent school) and the sal went to MIT. Colleges don’t care, your peers don’t care, neither should you. Just get good grades and do some ECs.</p>
<p>
You shouldn’t just assume this was because they couldn’t get into higher-ranked schools, though I agree that being valedictorian won’t help much on its own. Maybe prestige wasn’t important to them and they didn’t apply to any top schools (the valedictorians at my school usually go to community college like everyone else), or maybe the financial aid at the state flagship was better than what they got anywhere else, or maybe they were going into some field where the state flagship had a better program. Overall, most people don’t care about top schools the way people on here do.</p>
<p>Freshmen GPAs don’t really matter. Your class ranks will get shuffled between now and your graduation. The whole ‘burned-out would-be val’ is very much a real thing. </p>
<p>You have plenty of time to get up to #1 if that’s what you really want. The GPA gap isn’t that wide. Case in point: at the end of semester 1, freshmen year I was tied with someone else for #2. Flash forward to end of semester 2, sophomore year: I’m firmly #1, the former #1 is now #2, and the person I was tied with is in a distant #3. My graduating class is just barely in the 3 digits.</p>
<p>You’ll be fine. </p>