<p>I'm 2nd (I hate the fancy sounding S word) in my graduating class and I wanted to know how other S's felt about their rank. Personally, I am very disappointed with myself and feel like I failed at a major goal in my life. I feel like I made a huge investment of my time and energy over the past four years for one goal that ended up eluding me. </p>
<p>I DON'T want to hear stories about how you were robbed of being Val or your Val is an idiot or whatever. I want to hear from people who know that they came in 2nd fair and square, because I can't be the only one who feels like this.</p>
<p>I think that in order to be in even the top 10 in any school you have to have certain personality traits - overachiever, perfectionist, hard-worker, etc. And these are traits that making losing even harder.</p>
<p>I'm probably in the top-10 in my school...and I slacked off big time freshman year...otherwise I would've been like 1, 2, or 3. But I'm still up there cuz there are only 50 kids in my class....anyway that's besides the point.</p>
<p>You should still be happy with what you have, but at the same time never settle for anything but the best. You've worked hard - and being 2nd isn't that bad (even though it means you were one spot away from first).</p>
<p>leah - I'm actually really happy with the college I'm going to (a reach I never expected to get in to) and at my school Sal gives a speech, too. It's more the personal failure that I'm having trouble dealing with.</p>
<p>i too was salutatorian, and i feel like that is what i deserved. i feel no resentment towards the valedictorian, as he was in honors (and therefore received weighted credit for) math, and i was not. thus there was no way i could have a higher gpa (or rank) than him, even though i didnt get ONE grade lower than an A, throughout all of highschool. i always thought it would be awesome to get through highschool and not get a single B, and because i achieved that goal, i dont feel robbed of anything (i.e. the valedictorian position).</p>
<p>i am somewhat disappointed that he dropped classes that he knew he could not get an A in (including the majority of social studies classes, and ap sciences that i struggled through to get an A in), but because i was recognized (at graduation and elsewhere) for the extra effort i gave all four years, i am content. </p>
<p>Had i only gotten 3rd, and another kid who partied more than anyone i know, cheated, was lazy, etc. got salutatorian, i would be *<strong><em>ing *</em></strong>ed off...but that didnt happen</p>
<p>I mean, you probably don't need me to tell you that being ranked 2nd in your class is certainly an accomplishment. And if you got into a great school, why do you care?</p>
<p>Being a salutatorian is an honor. Be proud of the academic achievements that have led you to become one of the most successful students in your graduating class.</p>
<p>I'm salutatorian too. I'm not disappointed though. Would I have liked/preferred to be valedicorian? Sure. Am I overly upset and going to lose sleep over it? Absolutely not. You still acomplished something pretty amazing. Don't sweat the small stuff. Congrats</p>
<p>You're sad about being #2 (OP)? This place is ridiculous sometimes.</p>
<p>You think you know what disappointment is? How about ending up in the top 50 when I could've been top 10, because I didn't work hard enough as a freshman?</p>
<p>"You're sad about being #2 (OP)? This place is ridiculous sometimes.</p>
<p>You think you know what disappointment is? How about ending up in the top 50 when I could've been top 10, because I didn't work hard enough as a freshman?"</p>
<p>Why is your situation any different from the OP's? The OP had a goal and s/he didn't reach it. Whether it be achieving valedictorian status or just graduating from high school, everyone has times where they don't meet the goals they set for themselves, and you shouldn't badger them because the OP's goals were higher than yours.</p>
<p>Yeah, I get where he's coming from. It is totally reasonable to hope for 1st place when you know you are good and worked really hard. Just realize that what you have done in HS is nothing, as college is the big leagues. This time around, you know exactly what the ball field is like. </p>
<p>Personally my school doesn't do rank because of competition. For the graduation speech they have an intra school speech contest and faculty and staff pick one of them.</p>
<p>Salutatorian is a much more beautiful word than "Vail-Ih-Dick-Torr-EE-Ann" . . .at least I think so.</p>
<p>There are so many more wonderful things you can accomplish that I'm sure you'll almost forget whether you were first for second in high school- and of course you can always be first in college(maybe)! Keep trying!</p>
<p>At our school, we have a V and S, but we don't rank, so I don't really know where I am.</p>
<p>We have no ranks on applications, and only one person is named the valedictorian. I don't believe the salutatorian here is even recognized; even so, the valedictorian is only recognized at graduation, not on the transcript.</p>
<p>Haha. Our school ranks, so while we have a #1 and #2, we don't have vals or sals. No recognition at all. No speech. No one even knows unless the respective people tell. Bulls*** if you ask me, but maybe that's b/c I'm #1 and really want to give a sacreligious speech at graduation about how terrible our school system is.</p>
<p>^ Then you should make yourself a T-shirt that says "VALEDICTORIAN" and walk around school wearing it for the last couple days. Just so they know ;)</p>
<h1>2 here in class of 350. V and I took the exact same classes, had the exact same friends, involved in exact same activities, and ... i got a b. :(</h1>
<p>Oh yeah, and his plaque is slightly bigger than mine haha</p>