At a competitive school like White Station, where many students have heavy course loads, class rank is a popular topic of discussion for graduating seniors. The class rank system assigns seniors a number, with the top 10 percent having the highest GPA in the class.

“It shouldn’t matter, but it also should because it tells you where you are,” Alex Benton (12) said.  “It tells you who’s in front of you, and who’s behind you,”

Students’ feelings on their class ranks range from happiness to indifference to disappointment. For some, class rank had an effect on their confidence and self-esteem. On the other hand, some students say their class ranks are a good representation of their work in high school. However, indifference comes from a lack of understanding the weight that class rank carries when applying for college.

“I know how competitive White Station is, and I made it into the top 10, and that made me extremely happy,” Sofia Murtaugh (12) said.

The stress that comes from a student’s class rank stems from how they think it will impact their admission to college. However, a student with a low rank is not immediately rejected from a good school. Colleges look at much more than rank.

“[Colleges] are looking at you individually,” guidance counselor Leslie Fleming said. “Do you have a rigorous schedule? Are you making good grades in the classes that you are taking? Are you making good test scores? Those three factors are more important to a college than one class rank.”

For some schools like Rhodes and Vanderbilt, class rank is an important factor when they look at potential applicants, but there also reputable colleges, like University of Tennessee Knoxville and Sewanee, where class rank is not a strong factor when choosing an applicant.  

To achieve a high-class rank, students from the beginning of their freshman year should be taking the most rigorous classes that are within their ability and that interest them. Also, avoiding procrastination will ensure that students are reaching their highest potential.

“People shouldn’t be disappointed with their class ranks,” Murtaugh said. “When they hear it, they should actually just be proud because [White Station] is so competitive. You may be at higher rank at another school, but I think it is better to be at a lower rank at this school.”

A high-class rank is definitely something to be proud of, but students should not get too stressed over their rank if it is not exactly where they want it to be.

“In the end, it’s just a number,” Fleming said.