<p>Prompt: In your opinion, should high schools encourage a competitive academic atmosphere?</p>
<p>There has been a debate whether competition in schools leads to higher academic achievement or failure and stress. I believe competition is a significant part for high academic achievement and building strengths and weaknesses. Schools with a lot of competition can help students strive for challenging courses, help them do well on standardized tests, and help them get into top colleges.</p>
<p>Even though being competitive in school leads to stress and lack of confidence, competition helps us stay focused and stay on top of our priorities. We tend to build confidence, determination, and an interest to learn more as time progresses in your high school career. </p>
<p>To begin, students in competitive schools encourage themselves to take tough, rigorous courses. Students want to learn more by taking challenging courses, and they want to impress themselves, their parents, their teachers, and especially their transcript. In my school, many students take as many AP and IB classes as they possibly can because they gain more knowledge and it looks better on their transcript. Also, a study shows that taking tough courses prepares students for college courses. </p>
<p>Subsequently, students in competitive schools tend to do well on standardized tests. Students who compete in school always try to prepare themselves to do well on any standardized test such as ACT, PSAT, SAT, etc. Students want to get good scores to qualify for scholarships and recognition. Lately, kids taking their academics seriously tend to get 33-36 on the ACT or 2100-2400 on the SAT. Many students are taking prep classes, getting prep books from the library, and get started as soon as freshman year of high school.</p>
<p>Furthermore, being competitive helps students get to top-notch schools. Students are trying to get high G.P.A.s, high-standardized test scores, and get recommendation letters from teachers. For example, many students in my school are preparing to go to IVY league universities that require a well-rounded student and have very low acceptance rates. These low acceptance rates encourage students to work harder in order to go to heir dream school.</p>
<p>Overall, students in a competitive environment help them strive for success and achievement. Many students take rigorous courses and do well on standardized tests to attain success and to go to very good universities. I believe every school should be very competitive to help students achieve and to be good at life.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for reading and can you me suggestions on this essay such as grammar and punctuation, structure, transition, organization, vocab, etc.</p>