Why is it that a number defines a person’s intelligence? Why is it that they put so much pressure on those who are looking for success? Everyone should be equal no matter their abilities. There are some individuals who are not at a higher rank because of problems at home, how can a number dictate your intelligence? What if you are smart but are not a good test taker? What if your health does not allow you to succeed as much as you want to? What if you are not in a good psychological state? What if just maybe we got rid of ranks? It is just a number defining who you are… it is just unfair.
Class ranking works the same as school ranking. It is measure without a concrete scale. Perth Amboy High School, for example, ranked 320 out of 328 high schools in New Jersey (NJMonthly). Our school is LABELED as one of the worse schools in New Jersey, yet we have students being accepted into top universities and colleges across the country. Our 2011 valedictorian, Rony Cepeda, is currently attending Harvard University. Harvard University is one of the prestigious colleges in the world, well-known everywhere. 2012 graduate, Rosa, is attending Brown University and Joshua Nunez is attending George Washington University. They all received scholarships and are currently excelling in their schools, yet Perth Amboy High School is ranked 320. 2013 graduates are getting accepted into prestigious schools. Heidy Mendez was accepted into Brown University and Narlyn Veliz was accepted into Princeton University. They will both attend these universities in the fall and show that our school is not 320; it is number 1.
There are many more acceptance letters coming for this year, and we can all say that a number should not label a person’s intelligence and a schools rank. We are all number one; we are all aiming for the goal of SUCCESS!
Jaritza Rodriguez
Perth Amboy High School student
Class of 2013