<p>Hey,</p>
<p>I'm only a freshman, but I am EXTREMELY competitive, and the girl who is likely to win valedictorian is MY WORST ENEMY. So I am already planning out my win. I know I am smarter than this girl, but we get the same grades, always getting 96s thru 100s. My question is:</p>
<p>As high school goes along, and we become juniors and seniors, do classes get harder? Will it be much more difficult to make an A in an IB/AP chem course in 10th grade than in Honors World History in 9th?</p>
<p>I'm copying the following from fabrizio's thread.</p>
<p>Screw valedictorian.</p>
<p>I used to think it would be really awesome to have the highest GPA in the whole school. But then I realized that what was most important was that I stay in marching band for all 4 years because I enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. Marching band wasn't honors, nor was Wind Ensemble, so I couldn't be valedictorian.</p>
<p>I fretted about this for a while, then I decided it didn't matter. I participated in other clubs in addition to band and was very happy with my experience. I graduated 6th or 9th in my class, don't even remember now, and I go to Stanford. The valedictorian of my class was rejected at UCLA, I believe. She took the most AP's and got straight A's, but she rarely participated in class and was in a couple clubs with no leadership.</p>
<p>The moral of the story is that colleges WILL see who you are... so please don't give up something you love just to take more AP's.</p>
<p>it gets progressively harder... Take advantage of the easy classes in freshman year.</p>
<p>Calm down. Being valedictorian is NOT everything. Being in the top 5-10% is all that matters for admissions to the top schools (you can interpret "top schools" as you wish).
And yes it will definitely be harder to keep up the As as you get older and take harder classes. Please abandon your childish, foolish, extremely unhealthy competitiveness. Your classmates should be your friends. You should not be deeming someone your worst enemy just because she does well in school. Being a valedictorian is an empty title (it is helpful but it's not going to get you into college):
College admissions is not a race. It's not a contest. It doesn't matter whether your classmates do well or not. College admissions is the one thing in your high school career that is dependent on YOU. It's no longer you competing with your classmates at such a precise level. Both you AND your "worst enemy" can get into a good college--there are no quotas for schools. So please, take a chill pill. And--quick reality check: things will change dramatically over the next 3 years. Keep that in mind.</p>
<p>freshman are always obsessed about grades. By the time you are a junior, you probably wont care anymore and would rather persue activies that you enjoy. Its not wrong to be exicted freshman year, but you will gradually mature out of it. I like the way celetrial/fabrizo put it.</p>
<p>ditto AZnn3rd.</p>
<p>thank you for saving my life, Apathy.</p>
<p>See that's what I don't like. People think it's either A) You're crazy competitive and have to win at everything or B) You are an apathetic slacker and settle for whatever comes to you. It doesn't have to be either way. Do your best and care about your own achievements--don't worry about others, just be yourself.</p>
<p>-_- you shouldn't be so intent on being valedictorian, because then you'll start taking classes just to get higher grades. Being in, say the top 15% is usually already good enough for the best schools. Of course, classes DO get harder, that's obvious, and how are you so sure that this girl isn't as smart as you are?</p>
<p>Don't be so focused on becoming valedictorian that you neglect your ECs and all of the other things. Val alone will not get you into the top colleges.
I totally agree with celestial.</p>
<p>Massively much harder. I'm tied six ways as val as a sophomore. I'd say i'm third most likely, unless number two desides he doesn't want it- he's not uber competitive about it like I am. Last year classes were easy A's. This year, four AP's and a saturday job later, I'm really sweating to get all A's. AP World history is especially difficult at my school. Lots of homework, no videogames or TV. And I'mr ealizing more and more that writing one cool program and top 5% is > val and normal EC's.</p>
<p>I'd differ with the others about the exact % top schools want. I have herad from a caltech, my dreamschool, admissions officer, that top 5% is normal, and val is good, but not nearly special enough to get you in alone.</p>
<p>Why is everyone discouaging ambition? Someone has to be val... why not this kid?</p>
<p>To answer the OPs question, the classes get harder persay, more work is required of you, but I dont really find the subject manner that much more intellectually difficult as you go up in classes. Do well your freshman year! and Do well every year!</p>
<p>I agree with mikethemaddog66, if you want to be valedictorian, go for it! Just don't be "worst enemies" with anyone. I'm currently 1st in my class, but I'm friends with practically all of the top people. In fact, sometimes we study together, and help each other on our homework.
Also, have at least two hours a day for pleasure; we're still kids, and need to have some fun. You don't want to end up like those kids on TV that get stress disorders, or worse. (At least for most days, sometimes we all have to cram all nigh. Not by choice, hopefully, though.)</p>
<p>That's not to say I don't rub it in their faces, but it's all in good fun.</p>
<p>Your obsession with being number one is not healthy, you're only a freshman. I think your problem is probably that you got involved in this discussion board while you were still in middle school and you thought getting involved in the Valedictorian "game" was worth your while.</p>
<p>Unless you know the current number one girl and you dislike her personally, then it really doesn't reflect well on you that you're someone's worst enemy because they got slightly better grades than you. That's just immature.</p>
<p>You said you're number two, right? I don't see why you can't just be happy with that and work hard to do your best, not to "win" over another girl who works hard. It's simple- if you treat this like a game, then you're going to be constantly worrying about what place you're in and you'll never be able to enjoy yourself in high school. But if that's what you want.</p>
<p>to the OP:</p>
<p>think of it this way, plain and simple: in 20 years it won't matter!</p>
<p>i understand where you're coming and by all means make as good grades as you want, but a couple of spots of a difference won't matter. I GUARANTEE IT!!!</p>
<p>Not really. In fact low-level, honors classes tend to give more projects and busywork which you have to spend a lot of time on.</p>
<p>There are so many factors you cannot control when it comes to grading that you will drive yourself insane for 4 years trying to be #1. Who gets the easier teacher, the curve in a particular class, if one teacher gives out extra credit and another does not, a group project where you end up with some kids who are less inclined to do 100% than you are, missing class due to other school activities or illness, whether you are the teachers favorite or not, if your mom works at the school, who begs the most for changes in their grade (oh, I deserve a 98 not a 97!). The list goes on. And hey, if you end up being #2 because #1 beat you by .003% will you consider your high school carreer a failure? Somethings to think about.</p>
<p>right now, you may be stressing over grades, but once you go into college, none of it will matter at all.</p>
<p>sax is right. It's nice to strive for #1 but sometimes we have to evaluate the little possibilies that could hamper our accomplishments. Just because you're #2 doesn't necessarily mean that you're not as good as #1, in this case. There are inequalities in the evaluation system for valedictorians, like those that sax mentioned.
IMO it's a bit too extreme if you hate #1 just because she has a higher grade than you.
In fact, GPA isn't all that matters in college admissions. Someone at my school with a 4.00 W got into Harvard whereas someone else with around a 4.3 W got rejected from Harvard. Actually, many people with more than a 4.0 W got rejected but ironically the person with the 4.0 got in. I bet it's due to his/her excellent ECs and strong passion for what he/she does.</p>