<p>< There's a progression that takes grades and college into account. You need good grades to get into a good school. The school needs to have a good reputation and you need to do well to get good work experience or go to a good graduate school. Your graduate school has to be good for you to get a good job with a good starting salary afterward. >
The relationship is nowhere near as strong as you think.</p>
<p>< Maybe it worked for you at some point...i'm sensing from your posts that you're much older than high school kids today...but that's not applicable today. >
I graduated from high school in 1992. 1992 wasn't that long ago. It's not like we walked 6 miles in the ice and snow, had a family horse-and-buggy, or churned our own butter.</p>
<p>< I see kids who have done everything possible still get rejected from top schools. Where does that leave kids who chose to take it easy? >
As I see it, there's less incentive to be at the very top than was the case in my day. You have to do SO MUCH work for SO LITTLE benefit.</p>
<p>< Of course, i'm only referring to those kids who want to achieve big things. If one is comfortable with just a normal life and a normal salary, any grades and college may suffice. >
So what are the big things you want to achieve that require being among the top .5% of students?</p>
<p>High School life can be stressfull....I live an hour and a half away from school and i play sports for two out of the three seasons. I have practice every day for 2+ hours, then i shower, and finally i go home. It takes a lot of determination to work at night when i just wanna go to sleep. I have learned to manage, and my grades are among the best in my class. I do a lot of work over the weekends but i always leave some time for learning about other things i am interested in or going to the park with my friends...
There is no reason why anyone should sacrifice having a childhood or sit inside ALL day studying.
It is essential to have sound mind and sound body....</p>
<p>I also volenteer at a vet for 2 hours every sunday, and speek at a Greek radio station for two hours every saturday. This means that sometime my days can be extremely hectic. The key is to keep an eye on deadlines, and to manag procrastination the best we can...</p>
<p>The only thing i can say to justify working hard and sacrificing some of the time i would have to spend with friends is that it will all be worth it if i get into a college i love, where i can study those things that i am really curious about.... In the end, a rewarding undergraduate experience cannot be replaced, and if working hard in high school is what it takes...I will do it...</p>
<p>Why can't you just sit back, relax, and be content to be a top 5%-10% student instead of a top .5% student? There aren't that many schools that the top .5% student will get into that the top 5%-10% student won't. Most schools are a shoo-in for the latter group, and most of the remaining schools are a long shot for even the former group.</p>