By Aspen McAdoo

Recently, academics have become much more stressful and there has been more emphasis put on college. Students are loading up their schedules with honors and AP classes so they can make sure they are top in their class and get into colleges. According to the U.S. Department of education, the average high school student GPA in 1990 was a 2.68. But in 2020 it was 3.15; this is showing a steady rise throughout the years. At Ponte Vedra High School the average GPA is a 3.61.  Throughout the years academic competitiveness has increased and is at its peak right now. The main reason these numbers have been increasing is due to college.

Schools have started to push colleges a lot more and many jobs have decreased which forces kids to find an alternative. According to weforum.org, “Since 1990, manufacturing output has increased by 72 percent. But manufacturing employment has fallen by 31 percent.” This is causing a lot more students to look into college. There is also more stress on extracurriculars, and the activities students do outside of school. Plenty of aspects go into the college admission process but the two major ones are grades and extracurriculars. Most students are feeling pressure of exceeding in both school and outside of it. The pressure is causing major competition in academics, making students work increasingly harder.

Students who take all AP and honors classes and get good grades now find themselves in the middle of the pack instead of at the top. The average GPA to get into the University of Florida is a 4.42. The average SAT is 1380 and the average ACT is 29-33. At Florida State University the average GPA is a 4.07. The average SAT is 1370 and average ACT is 28. Roshan Patel, a junior at Ponte Vedra High School said, “I do believe that there has become more of a competition in school and more stress placed on getting great grades in tough classes. But I feel that most top colleges want the kids who take the harder classes and succeed in them.” Students feel the pressure of this competition but stay committed because they know the reward of it.

The kids who have good grades but find themselves in the middle of the pack must find ways through extracurricular activities to stand out. Activities such as clubs, sports, or positive impact on the community are ways students use to separate themselves from others. James O’Donnell, a junior at PVHS claimed, “Even though I have a great GPA I don’t stand out at this school, so I try to do things outside of school to make me seen. Baseball, joining and being involved with as many clubs as I can, and giving back to my community are many things I do to help me out.” Even if students aren’t at the top of their class, they can find ways to reach the top outside of academics.

Some students know the stress and pressure of taking tough classes and decide to take an easier route through high school. No matter what classes students take, high school will be difficult but some kids will take a less stressful route. Austin O’Hara, a junior at PVHS stated, “I know the stress that some of my friends go through with taking AP courses and the amount of work that they do. So instead of taking those courses I take only honors courses to make the workload lighter.” Each student has a different approach towards high school, and they take the way that fits them the best.

Overall, school has become much more competitive on the academic side and students feel the effects of it. Many students who succeed don’t even find themselves at the top of their class so they must find other ways to be seen. They take on a lot of stress and pressure from these classes to get them into their top college.