This article is one of the winning submissions from the New York Post Scholars Contest, presented by Command Education.
“The first question he asked me was ‘What is your GPA,’ not ‘What is your name,’ ” Joe, a student at a prestigious New York City private school, says, describing his interaction with another student. Although this conversation occurred years ago, these words have remained in his mind ever since—a reminder of how grades can dominate social interaction.
This interaction is just one example of the toxic and overly competitive culture around academics that students are subjected to. For some teenagers, grades are more than measures of academic success—they are measures of self-worth that define their entire futures. In a survey sent out to members of the school community, 91% of respondents reported that they were stressed about academics and college. This atmosphere is reflected in the way that some students interact with each other, Ryan says. “There are certain people that are constantly talking about college and GPA. I’ve heard so many people say things like if you don’t have a 3.9 GPA, you won’t get into college.”
This competitive culture is amplified when dealing with college admissions, Eliza says. “Last year, once admissions decisions came out, some students circulated spreadsheets of where each student was going, or whether they got deferred or rejected,” she says. “It’s one thing to want to know where your classmates are going, but this method is shaming, probing and feeds into the toxic culture surrounding college admissions.”
This increased pressure is partly a result of the sharp decline in acceptance rates in the past few years. Take the example of the University of California, Los Angeles: 20 years ago, in the academic year 2004-2005, their acceptance rate was approximately 20%. As of the 2023-2024 school year, their acceptance rate was half that at approximately 9%. Another example is Yale University: in 2004, their acceptance rate was approximately 10%. As of 2023, their acceptance rate has also halved, resting at slightly below 5%. While acceptance rates have declined, students’ expectations have remained at the same level, causing college stress to increase exponentially. Furthermore, many students’ parents attended Ivy League schools and other top colleges, intensifying the pressure to live up to the legacy of their parents, Ryan says.
This stress is exacerbated at private schools because students are aware of the financial investment made by their parents and want this investment to pay off, Clary says. “I know that my education is a huge investment and I don’t want it to go to waste. I don’t want to disappoint my parents because I know I owe it to them to go somewhere good.”
Due to the pressure to maintain their grades, most students end up working for several hours per night. Out of the students surveyed, 55% reported having three to four hours of work per night. This figure is similar to the national average for high-achieving private and public schools. A study conducted by Challenge Success, a nonprofit affiliated with the Stanford University Graduate School of Education, found that students at high-achieving private and public schools averaged three hours of homework per night. Additionally, students also partake in extracurricular activities, often to enhance their college applications. Sixty-four percent of students surveyed say that they spend over seven hours a week on extracurricular activities, which, if evenly distributed, adds an additional hour of work per day. “Almost every weekend, I spend virtually all of Saturday and Sunday debating. This causes a work backlo’ where I have a lot more work every night because I don’t have that extra time over the weekend,” Daisy says.
As a result of busy schedules, most students do not get the recommended amount of sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends eight-plus hours of sleep for teenagers. Out of the students surveyed, 73% say they get less than seven hours of sleep per night, with 10% of them reporting that they get less than five hours of sleep per night. Since students are consistently getting low amounts of sleep, it is difficult for them to readjust to the recommended sleep schedule even when they have free time, Dale says. “Because of school and extracurricular activities, I go to sleep at 12 or 1 a.m. even if I don’t have work. My body is so used to that schedule that I can’t go to sleep earlier.” This lack of sleep is part of a larger national trend—the National Sleep Foundation found that 80% of teenagers get less than the recommended amount of sleep, highlighting how sleep deprivation in teenagers is not specific to certain schools, but rather a global phenomenon.
Although in the short-term, the effects of consistent sleep deprivation might not be evident, they can be detrimental to students’ health in the long-term. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, lack of sleep can impact productivity, ability to learn and social functioning. These skills are especially important as students grow and advance into professional careers, illustrating how this short-term decision can disadvantage them in the future. Additionally, sleep deprivation can lead to severe physical and mental health problems, including depression, heart disease, high blood pressure and increased likelihood of strokes.
This academic pressure also hinders students’ social lives, Clary says. “I spend such a large part of my weekend studying or doing work for my extracurriculars that it’s really hard to spend time with my friends.” Clary’s opinion is not unusual. In fact, 73% of students surveyed reported that academic stress had negatively affected their social lives. Over 55% of respondents mentioned that they go out with friends once a month, at most, because of schoolwork.
Furthermore, students find that the competitive atmosphere can inhibit meaningful social connections, Jared says. “When you’re so competitive, it makes it hard to be happy for your friend when something is going well for them. You’re constantly comparing yourself to your peers.”
The long-term impacts of reduced social connection are potent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe the long-term effects of loneliness as having the potential to increase a person’s propensity to health issues like diabetes, depression, anxiety, dementia and heart disease. Although most students might not be completely lonely, academic pressure has the potential to distance students from their friends, family and community.
This academic stress reaches its peak at the start of senior year, when students are applying to college, Jenna, a senior, says. “When I got into college and one of my peers didn’t, she asked me what my GPA and SAT scores were. Later, I heard her telling other people, ‘I have no idea how she got in over me. She does not deserve it, to be honest.’ ” This instance is just one of the several times where seniors felt that their college acceptances were being analyzed by other students.
A reason for this tendency is the unpredictability of college admissions, Elijah says. “Some people think that just because they had a higher GPA or SAT score than someone else, they deserved to get accepted over that person. If they get rejected, they start thinking that the other people who got accepted didn’t deserve it,” he says. “Although I understand where they’re coming from, it’s important to recognize that college admissions are dependent on so many different factors, including essays, course rigor and extracurriculars.” Therefore, it is unfair for students to make assessments on who deserved to get accepted into colleges.
However, this competitive atmosphere is not a result of the school’s administration, but rather a reflection of the character of the student body, Simone says. “Our school is constantly telling us that where we go to college is not the most important thing in the world–what’s more important is actually learning and enjoying the process.”
Although most students are stressed about college, 10% of students surveyed say they didn’t feel much pressure. “I use school as an opportunity to figure out what I like and what I’m interested in. I’m not too worried about where I’ll end up because I know that I work really hard and will end up somewhere good. There’s no use worrying about the outcome,” Daelyn says.
Giselle believes that this intense pressure surrounding the college admissions process is unwarranted. “People focus too much on where they want to go to college. I feel like it’s more important to get a hold of some skills, try your hardest, and not worry too much about the outcome,” she says. “It’s not about where you go to college, but what you make of it.”
So, is there a way to break out of this cycle of pressure? Recent graduate Sandy believes that there is. “Many of the factors in the process are out of your control, so there’s no use worrying,” he says. “What colleges really want to see is someone who has worked hard and made an impact in their community. You just have to be yourself, and you’ll end up at the best place for you.” His opinion offers students a reminder that although college admissions can feel overwhelming, trusting in themselves and their abilities will lead them to a place where they can thrive.
An 11th-grader at Horace Mann in the Bronx, Gadiyaram aspires to be a lawyer.