Finding Success in a Competitive High School Environment

One of the chief complaints about high school is the level of competition that exists in these environments. Often high schools operate on a few levels, and the toughest competition is at the uppermost levels. Competitive high schools aren’t in the business of handing students a basic high school diploma. These high schools are the elevator students take to high ranking colleges and universities.

The large number of applicants to the more prestigious schools makes the application process more stressful which translates back into the high school preparation. A high school that gets students into the right colleges is doing its job according to parents and the community. This creates pressure for both the school and students. While it can be intense, for most students the pressure to succeed at the high school level is a necessary force to find success past the high school years.

Take the Right Courses
There is much to be said for pushing the limits and working up to the highest levels of academics for the sake of your future, but the highest courses are not for all students, nor are they absolutely required for college admissions. It is far better to thrive in the courses that a student is suited for than to struggle continually in a course that is working faster than he is able to keep up.

The right mixture of courses in a competitive high school are the classes that prepare you for the basic requirements applicable to the colleges you’re interested in and the courses that will make you stand out from other applicants. For example, some universities require applicants to have three years of a foreign language. While you can take three years of Spanish, it might be more memorable or impressive to the admissions committee if you’re the student who opted to take four years of Spanish, or three years of Latin or German.

Scaling Back
The race to the top in a competitive high school is a race to the top of the GPAs and to the most prestigious universities. It is easy to become caught in the culture of competition rather than the culture of success. Consider your true options for college. Are you looking at schools that have rigid acceptance policies? Or are you comfortable with a more open-admission based school?

If the competitive nature of the high school environment is causing you stress or anxiety, step back and scale back your commitments. You don’t need to be an active member of every club and take every honors course available. Take the ones that matter and be active in clubs you enjoy. Not only with high school be a more rewarding experience, you’ll be setting up realistic expectations for your future college plans as well.