With the new semester, school administration has made the decision to remove class rank from student transcripts.
Grayslake North is one of many local high schools to remove class rank. The decision has come after years of deliberations including students, teachers, college admissions officers and school administration.
“Class rank has become an antiquated measurement that most high schools in our area had already done away with and most colleges no longer required,” said Director of Curriculum and Instruction Tracey Landry.
Class rank placed students on a 5.0 scale. It created an environment of rivalry between students to rank higher than each other.
“We didn’t feel like it did much to support students. We wanted to focus more on reward systems that awarded student growth without creating competition,” said Associate Principal of Curriculum & Instruction Jeff Schagrin.
Students now have the opportunity to have their class rank left on their transcript through a letter from their guardian, but if needed for a college application or scholarship, it can be easily retrieved from their counselor.
“Eliminating class rank forces colleges and universities to look at the whole student, not just being eliminated based on class rank,” said Principal Jim Roscoe
Many major colleges do not list class rank as a part of the application process.
“Many colleges were very vocal in saying that class rank was not very important to them and that they looked at broader things than just a number,” Landry said.
Removing class rank will benefit all students, no matter their ranking.
“Having class rank can only be a hurdle, but eliminating it opens up many more doors for everyone,” Roscoe said.