Senior year. For most, it’s just a buffer between child and adulthood; however, while most seniors are taking it easy in their final classes, the school’s highest ranking students are engaged in an all out competition for the top spots amongst their peers.

Few things are more important than class rank to the elite of the school

“Rank is important to me when it comes to college admissions and scholarship applications,” senior Misael de los Reyes said. “It is one of many components in an application, but an important one that allows admissions officers to evaluate you within the context of your class.”

With college right around the corner, students are doing everything they can to better their chances of being accepted into prestigious universities.

“I am continuing to take challenging courses and working hard to maintain good grades,” said de los Reyes. “I have improved by learning how to properly study for exams and conduct research. I am also a lot more informed than I was my freshman year on how rank and GPA works.”

With such an intense focus on academics, it’s hard to believe that these students have time for anything else.

“I don’t let the competition get in the way of my relationships and social life,” senior Lindsey Pipes said. “I can’t dislike or unfriend someone for wanting to work hard and move up in rank.”

Class rank hasn’t always been important to these outstanding students.

“Class rank became important to me during the beginning of my junior year,” de los Reyes said. “It was during this time that the fact that I was going to be applying to college soon really started to sink in.”

Some top students are completely oblivious to the competition for class rank.

“There’s a competition?” senior Bryan Racus said.

Regardless of how much they actually care, most students are happy with their class rank.

“I’m number two,” Racus said. “I’m not complaining.”