<p>I know that you viewed this message anticipating a list of my credentials, extracurriculars, etc. and if thats what you came for, feel free to leave right now however, I felt compelled to share some observations I gathered upon viewing some of the postings in this forum. </p>
<p>Im no revolutionary, by the way I just see a problem with the trend in whats happening among teenagers today, and I decided to discuss it with my peers after all, I have no doubt of your collective comprehension of what Im saying, as you all have monumental academic records.</p>
<p>So I see, on this site, wildly high GPAs, fantastic SAT scores, and a bevy of attractive colleges to which these obviously qualified students are applying. However, Im confused, in a general sense, about the system that brings such incredibly high credentials about. The way I see it, the smarter a teenagers is, the more he or she is led towards a frenzied pursuit of higher and higher GPAs, test scores, and all the other elements of what constitutes high school success. And this leaves us without any real appreciation of the material, or even the process of intellectual exploration.</p>
<p>Like me, the rest of you can probably understand my issue with this system those of us with the potential to move mountains and make this planet a better place, are instead lead down a very narrow pathway where their success is quantified whenever possible is that really the best, mentally healthiest way to spend the adolescent years of ones life?</p>
<p>Note: In my posting, I'm referencing something deeper than stress - this is a complete overachievment trend where any sort of independence for the intelligent student is completely demolished.</p>
<p>I understand what you are saying and I agree. The achievements of students here are amazing and should not be frowned upon. The majority of students here do many AP classes not just for college applications/credit, but rather because they have a passion for learning. That's why I am excited to go to college this fall, to have the ability to learn new topics and subjects that I haven't had the opportunity to learn in highschool.</p>
<p>However, there are students here that just "super achieve" not for their own benefit but as a puppet to the "stats first" society. When I see threads entitled "is this summer program gonna look good for college" I wonder how some people got so far removed from the ultimate goal of gaining knowledge and experience - it's for overall wisdom, not stat-packing. And when I read several days ago about a student being beaten - physically beaten - for not getting into Wharton among other reasons, I am just in shock and anger and disillusionment. I feel so utterly bad for that poor soul; I become angered at so-called "parents" of whom I don't know but damn well will judge as being awful; and I am overcome with disillusionment, as how can we let ourselves be slaves to the grades. Maybe the reason other countries are getting the high-end jobs now is because they pound (literally and figuratively) immense education into their young ones. Yet, I feel that we can do hard work (ie - do many AP classes/tests, summer programs, etc.) and still do it for in the pursuit of becoming wiser people.</p>
<p>As my AP Calculus teacher told us during the year, "we're learning this topic this one day not because it is going to be on the AP test (because it wasn't) but rather so you can love and appreciate the beauty of mathematics." If we were all like that, things would be a lot better.</p>
<p>I understand as well. I used to be a super-competitive grade whore with some of my closest friends. And it was killing me. I've yelled at people in Marketing or AP History where their grades are superinflated, giving them an unfair advantage. I took all the most rigorous courses for the sake of "looking good." But thank god I've learned something.
Yeah, I still work my ass off, but it's mostly because I have trained myself not to slack off. But the most fun thing about school is learning, seriously. Even if that is the most cliche'd cliche ever. For example, I love my AP Calc class. It is also my lowest-grade, hardest class, in which we all strive to "not fail" the insanely hard tests and pop quizzes (which have been given the day before a test, dammit). And then I have physics, in which I have a good old 97, but I don't like it, I don't feel like I'm learning, and therefore I wish to drop it (unfortunately it's too late). Even if it means I topple out of the valedictorian spot, beneath my friends who still compete with me. What the hell, I won't have to make a speech :)</p>
<p>There are schools, like the one I attend, where the pursuit of knowledge and love of learning reign. We could all go to Harvard if we attended our local public school.</p>
<p>Sure, there are people who are stressing themselves to get grades toward a shallow end. Just don't assume that every high achiever fits in that category. The pursuit of excellence drives everything important.</p>
<p>Alas, I don't attend one of those elite prep schools where "love of learning" reigns - I (like most people) go to a public school, and am proud of it. :)</p>
<p>IMO, many "overachieving" kids on this forum are bored of the things they are taught in high school and wish to attend an elite college so they will be able to pursue a more passionate higher education at elite colleges where "grade-grubbing" is nonexistant.</p>
<p>I disagree with the above comment. A lot. First of all, what exactly is a "more passionate higher education?" something more specialized and intimate? Grade-grubbing is certainly a major issue at any major university, even those where grades are optional, like Brown. I go to an elite public-ish school, where not going to college simply isn't an option. In this parents/media/whatever induced frenzy, so many students forget to stop and think about the reasons why they actually want to go to college, and focus on what strategies they should have to get into a "top" school. I don't believe ANYONE who says that they take APs solely because they love to learn, apologies.</p>