High School Results: An Emotional Rollercoaster

As you’ve heard, high school results have been released. This has provoked strong feelings amongst all of the 8th graders. Some people feel like they’re at the top of a mountain and some people feel like they’re crushed beneath it. In this trivial time, everyone is feeling different overwhelming feelings.

Getting Accepted

Getting accepted into your dream school is an incredible feat not available to everyone. Those who do get accepted feel shocked, overjoyed, and overwhelmed. Your dream is being officiated into reality and you made it come true. Life seems perfect, all for a while. Success isn’t something far away anymore, all the mistakes you ever made are washed away by your achievements, and you are excited for the new, exhilarating world that awaits you.

Getting Rejected

Getting rejected can break your spirit. It can make you feel like your whole world fell apart and you’re not who you think you are. People tend to question their intelligence and their efforts, as if it was all for naught. But to all of those who relate to this paragraph, just know, as long as you tried your hardest and your best, there is no way you can be upset with yourself. If you understand this and believe this you can start to pick yourself up after this disappointment. My advice is to start researching your schools. It’s hard to forget about your dream school, but start looking into your new school. Find the cool things about it and the parallels between that school and your dream school. For example, let’s say your dream school was Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and you got into Talent Unlimited instead. Start looking at the similarities between both schools. For example, they both are in the city so you get the experience of commuting(depending on where you live) and seeing the world around you. They both have intensive arts programs, however, Talent Unlimited has less students meaning you can get more one-on-one help.

Getting Waitlisted

Getting waitlisted is the most nerve racking experience ever. Depending on your number it can be a burst of hope or a punch of depression. If your number is above 100 you still feel hopeful, some kids may believe that other schools that they got accepted into are better and reject that coveted seat. However, for the poor souls that get large waitlist numbers feel hopeless. It’s hard because some part of you is eager for the impossible chance that so many people will reject that school you might get into, but you know that it’s truly never going to happen.

The Game of Chance

The non-specialized high schools are mostly based off of lottery meaning you might never get an equal chance. If your lottery number and group number is low and you have a decent application, there is a high chance you may get accepted, however, if your lottery number and group number is high and you have an outstanding application, there is a chance you will be waitlisted because of this. There are so many things that prohibit great students from non-specialized schools because of their different priorities. For example, one school might favor students in their geographical zone, school district, students with free or reduced lunch, and in temporary housing. These different priorities cause some students not to get in despite their outstanding performance. This is not to put down anyone that got into good schools, everyone definitely deserves it, this is just informing you that you may not have an equal chance depending on what school you are applying to.

The Immense Weight

The worst part about high school applications is the Brobdingnagian weight put on students shoulders to succeed and be the best. Kids are put through intense training to be the best. For some, it pays off, others are deeply disappointed. However, because of the immense pressure put on students to be the best, these high school results can hit a little too hard. As long as you have tried your best you should remain positive and proud of yourself because you did all you can do and that deserves commendation.

So… How Do You Feel?

In this article we are interviewing 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. This is because everyone is affected by these high school results. 6th grade students lose their 8th grade friends that used to show them the ins-and-outs of the schools. 7th grade students see the 8th grade students they’ve spent 2 years with and feel an overwhelming feeling of sadness. They also can be nervous of the future and what’s to come.

6th graders

What high schools do you know?
What high school do you think you want to get into it?
Are you nervous about high school applications in two years? How do you feel about seeing the eighth graders get their results already?

Samantha Huang-

Bayside, Cardozo, Francis Lewis, Laguardia, Stuyvesant, thats it
I don't really care what high school I get into because my sisters went to Bayside, so Bayside maybe.
I feel like, a little nervous, because my sisters were stressing a lot. One of my sisters was even crying because she was so stressed, so I think if I prepare I won't be stressed. Judging by their reactions and how they are expressing it, it makes me kind of excited but also I’ve seen them get really scared and upset.

Lukia Cassidy-

Francis lewis and a school called WJPS, Cardozo, and Bayside.
Either Francis Lewis or WJPS.
A little bit because you don't know which one you’re going to get into, so it is going to be a little stressful. Well I have some friends in 8th grade and I feel happy for them, and for the ones that didn’t get into their high school I do feel bad for them.

7th graders

As a 7th grader, how much pressure do you feel to get the best grades?
What do you think of the high school application process? Are you excited?
What high schools do you want to go to and why?

Timothy Lai-

I know that school is not really the most important thing, but there is still a little bit of pressure and I really want to get into a high school that can suit me. I know that my 7th grade grades affect my highschool application.
It’s seems kind of scary, just noting I've been through the middle school application process. I feel like the high school applications affect your future more. Honestly I don’t know what to expect, and it’s all kind of new, and that’s how all of us feel, but I’m excited to see what it will bring but not necessarily the process itself.
I think first on my list is Stuyvesant because my Mom went there. She also went to 158 in the gifted and talented program. I also want to try and get into LaGuardia and Francis Lewis. Cardozo might be an option, Bronx also, but I am still deciding and I have a year to think about it so I shouldn’t be worried about this right now.

Liam Kuang-

I feel a lot of pressure because I want to get the best grades to get into the best high school.
I think it’s great, you test people based on their skills so you can get into a good high school. I think it’s fair. Yes, I am excited to apply.
I want to go to specialized high school so schools like, Bronx Science High School or Stuyvesant. I want to go there because it feels great to be there because you can get into a good college.

8th graders

What high school did you get into?
How did you feel about your high school results?
Are you proud of yourself?
What are your feelings about going into high school now that you know what high school you and your friends are going to?

Gabriel Nuxoll-

The Bronx High School of Science
Overjoyed and very shocked because I thought I would get into Brooklyn tech or not even a specialized high school
Yes, very proud of myself
I feel excited because I know some of my friends are going to the same school I am going to. I'm excited about what's to come and with us continuing [our friendship] until senior year.

Anonymous-

Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, I got into the DaVinci program.
I was really upset, however, I knew I had to move on. The school isn’t that bad and the DaVinci program is pretty good. I also got a really low waitlist number for the school I really want to get into.
I don’t know. I know I tried my best but some things just don’t work out. I’m still working out whether or not I should blame myself for it.
I’m a little sad. All my friends are going into different, but amazing, schools. We are all splitting up and I still want to remain good friends with these people. I’m excited for the new people and the new possibilities though.

Sooner or later we all face disappointment. Don’t let this get you down, things don’t work out sometimes but I get it. In the end, it’s not about what high school you get into, but what you make of your high school experience. You can go to Stuyvesant, burn out, and barely pass and end up not going to the college of your dreams. Or you can go to a school like Bayside High School, graduate valedictorian, salutatorian, or in the top 50 students in your school and flourish in your dream college. For example, our current mayor, Eric Adams, graduated from Bayside High School. An astronaut, Ellen S. Baker also graduated from Bayside. From Bayside she went to Cornell and then to NASA. She became an American physician and a NASA astronaut. She is a veteran of three shuttle flights and logged more than 686 hours in space. My point is, don’t be discouraged, don’t give up, and keep on trying your best. If this still hasn’t picked you up, fill out this form about high schools, and write your feelings about it. To everyone reading, have a great day, night, and rest of the year!

Form: High School Results Form

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