The top students of every high school class usually have a common factor of a 4.0 GPA or above, but the SHS class of 2012 has redefined the meaning of being at the top of the class. Approximately the top 27 students in the junior class have a GPA above a 4.0. The competition between students is more prevalent than it has ever been.

This class has always been a talented group of students, but looking back on the past three years of high school, the competitiveness regarding grades and educational success has reached its climax in the spring of 2011. The question remains of whether this competition is healthy or hurtful to these students. Guidance counselor Mrs. Mitchell said, “This class is definitely motivated internally, but this could cause students to put stress on themselves.” The thickness of tension is palpable in the closing weeks of the 2010-2011 school year while students fight to maintain and raise their grades.

Class ranks are surfacing and debates over where students fall on the scale have sparked several conversations. A higher rank becomes more esteemed considering the immense competition between students at the top of the class. The top 13% of the class of 2012, according to February calculations, have above a 4.0 weighted GPA.

This class is definitely very intelligent, but that is not to say that other classes are not. Junior Brenda Keys said, “Other classes are just as smart but people in this class are more obsessed with their GPAs  rather than focusing on learning material.”

This year the National Honor Society inducted 82 juniors, 38% of the class, which means all of that 38% have a 3.5 GPA or above. This indicates work ethic and determination present in the minds of these students. Guidance recognizes this number as uncommon among other classes and notices that the students in the graduating class of 2012 put forth tremendous effort to succeed academically. This success may be unfortunately due to competition between students rather than personal determination to succeed.

Grades are not the only source of competition within this class; with SAT scores coming out students are ranking themselves against their peers according to their score. There has always been an underlying sense of urgency to reach a set goal for SAT scores, but the class of 2012 has taken this urgency to a new level. Mrs. Mitchell explained how the pairing of Scituate High School with the Revolution Prep SAT Course has produced strong scores across the board. Many students have taken advantage of the benefits of an SAT tutor, whether provided by the school or not, in order to better their score.

All of these successes within the class of 2012 inevitably spark some pressure between students to perform at the top of their game. This source of competition is educationally healthy, but in other aspects can be detrimental to students who are pushing themselves to keep rank among their peers. In reality, they should be concerned with their personal successes and less concerned with how they rank against other students in the class.