They are the rock stars of the classroom, more recognizable on some high school campuses than the varsity quarterback: whiz kids who rack up straight A's like high scores on video games.
As thousands of Georgia seniors prepare for graduation, only an elite few will leave with the academic heavyweight titles of valedictorian and salutatorian. Some teens actively seek the No. 1 spot. Others happen upon it, relishing the reward for years of late night cramming and weekends derailed by research.
Graduating No.1 comes with perks. There's the ceremonial speech, the thousands of dollars in scholarship money if they stay in Georgia. Valedictorians going to state colleges this fall will receive 100 percent tuition reimbursement under the HOPE Scholarship, said John Millsaps, spokesman for the Board of Regents.
Nationally, as colleges move away from merit-based awards, being valedictorian is more of a resume builder, adds Miriam Parker, founder of College Counseling Center of Atlanta. "It shows that they really applied themselves in high school."
The race to the top can be a stiff competition that begins first day of freshman year and ends in an intensely anticipated close call when final grades are tallied.
The contest at Walton High in Cobb was still being calculated at the end of last week. At Marist School in DeKalb, it ended in a near photo finish; the top 10 percent of the Class of 2011 was within three-tenths of a grade point of one another. Valedictorian Meghan Connolly and salutatorian Sophie Harkins both have higher than a 4.0 average, boosting the top A with extra points earned for tougher classes.
Here's how other brainiacs sharing the spotlight at some metro Atlanta schools rose through class rankings:
Northview High School: Pushing for perfection
At Northview High, where the names of scholars are etched on plaques like those of triumphant athletes, the race for valedictorian came down to 0.03 grade points.
Raza Haider, 18, and Richard Lu, 17, knew they were high in their class ranking. They have similar grades, classes and academic achievements. They are admitted over-achievers in a class of full of them, inspired by the culture of success at Northview to study beyond their breaking points -- and then study some more.
Even the cafeteria of the Duluth school serves up food for thought, a quote on the wall from Aristotle: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
At times, the students said, the competition to stay on top was consuming. In their circles, straight A’s are expected. Perfect SAT scores are honored (and secretly envied).
“The pressure here makes you try your best and strive to go beyond your capabilities,” said Haider, who will attend Emory University. “I had to put in time in order to maintain my standing. If you are in a higher position, people expect you to get everything – math team, perfect test scores. ”
Haider always did more than expected. Once in 7th grade language arts, he handed in a 40-page summaryof a book he read in three days.
In high school, Haider took the SAT twice; he wasn’t satisfied with his first score, 2,290 out of 2,400. After meeting other whiz kids at Northview, he figured he needed an edge. On his second try, he scored a 2,380.
Success in education is a family tradition for Haider. His father, Syed Haider, an engineer from Pakistan, was at the top of his college class and taught Raza to give his best effort.
Salutatorian Lu, who is heading to Georgia Tech, was also driven. In sixth grade, he was passed over for a recognition honoring the top gifted students. He's felt he had something to prove to himself since. “I always had straight As,” Lu said. His secret: juggling studying and video game time. "If you feel so pressured to do the best of everyone, you can forget that school isn’t just about getting good grades, it’s about learning and making friends.”
Lu laments that his 2,270 SAT score wasn’t “perfect,” but he finds it respectable. The marathon to remain high in class ranking kept him pushing for excellence. Haider and Lu were cordial at school, keeping their academic progress secret. No comparing notes or test scores.
Said Lu: “The ambiguity helped us focus on ourselves instead of competing with each other.”
Greater Atlanta Christian School: Power naps and ping pong
They didn't run in the same circles at GAC, but they shared a healthy respect for learning that pushed them ahead of the rest.
Sunny Patel, 18, a charmer with a wide smile and a 4.72 GPA, didn't aim for the graduation spotlight.
He just kind of landed there, just 0.06 points ahead of Melissa Puntkattalee, an 18-year-old with a 4.66 GPA and determination to succeed.
Their rise through the rankings of the Norcross school was a test of endurance. They were friendly; neither bragging about their good grades. They just kept getting them.
“I didn’t want to compete with my peers,” Patel said. “I just wanted to do the best of my abilities.”
Between them, they have seven college acceptance letters they see as rewards for hard labor.
Patel is Princeton University-bound with a 2,240 SAT score. He said he developed a routine in sixth grade that helped him to excel beyond his expectations.
“I take a nap after school – every day,” he said. “It’s a way for me to get a new start. To put school aside for two hours, wake up and focus on what I need to do.”
After his daily rest, he’ll do homework for three hours and cram so he can fit in time for ping pong and friends. He memorizes his schedule so he has flexibility.
Salutatorian Puntkattalee says organization is key to her good grades. “My agenda is my life.”
Puntkattalee studies three days in advance of tests and goes the extra mile on homework. She has kept straight A’s on her report cards in all but one subject. A B in Advanced Placement U.S. history totally “ruined the streak,” she said. But she doesn't obsess. Playing tennis and the piano provides balance.
The salutatorian with a 2,100 SAT score will attend Georgia Tech. She wants to be a doctor.
"My parents told me you should take every opportunity and work hard at it,” she said. “I always tried to make good grades. Your GPA adds up every year. Know your goals.”
Grady High School: Nonstop tutoring
The students at the top of the graduating class at Atlanta’s Grady High got there not only through streaks of straight A's and impressive test scores, they shared a desire to master subjects that didn't come easy.
Like Advanced Placement Calculus.
Valedictorian Ben Gittelson and salutatorian Samuel Weinstock, both 17, spent hours getting help from their math teacher, even though neither was close to an F or C in the class. They knew their friend, Erin Bailie, was breezing through advanced math. She had MIT or bust practically stamped on her forehead.
“Math is not my strong suit,” said Gittelson. “Calculus is one of the hardest classes I have ever taken and also the most interesting one.”
Gittelson is always up for an academic challenge. He comes to school equipped for one every day, carrying a laptop, a stuffed backpack and a load of books in his arms. “I have always been a perfectionist. I go to tutorial for math, chemistry, literature – almost every class. I have done that pretty consistently throughout high school. I don’t think I would be at the top of the class if it weren't for that.”
Weinstock made the rounds too.
It was no surprise to some when they landed at the top of the Class of 2011. Gittelson has a 4.1; Weinstock a 4.0.; Bailie, the robotics master, a 3.9 and an acceptance letter to MIT. Unfazed by the hair's-breadth point spread, the trio are happy for each other.
Gittelson and Weinstock picked classes and clubs that would help to expand their intellects, and became valuable players on the mock trial team and managing editors of the newspaper. They both got a 2,320 on the SAT after taking the same prep class.
Between them they have taken 22 advanced placement courses and have gotten a yes from 17 colleges. Gittelson is going to Columbia University. Weinstock is heading to Harvard. He says taking hard classes helped his study habits.
“I don’t waste time,” he said. “I never watch TV on the weekdays. If I’m up until 3 in the morning doing an assignment, I do what it takes.”
Walton High School: Down to the wire
The brainiacs competing for Walton High valedictorian have been friends since middle school, helping and encouraging each other to study more and push harder.
They set their sights early on Yale, Georgia Tech and Stanford and never swayed from their goals. By 9th or 10th grade, the gang of overachievers had soared so far past the most advanced math classes in the curriculum that Principal Judy McNeill had her East Cobb teachers invent new courses for them to take.
“When all of them get to college, they’ll probably qualify for six college credits before they even walk in the door,” McNeill said.
The group started as five friends: Zenas Han, Johnny Grooms, Chris Choi, Tripp Roberts and Alex Li. They took on other hobbies besides studying. Roberts was the captain of the football team and played lacrosse. Han plays the viola. Choi is in student government and the model United Nations. Li plays the violin. Grooms does Xbox.
Two years ago, a new kid came to town. A teen with dark, bushy sideburns and thick eyeglasses from Karachi, Pakistan by way of Little Rock, Ark. His name: Abubakar Abid. Even in this competitive group, he stood out right away.
“We all expect Abubakar to take the top spot -- and maybe rule the world,” said Han.
McNeill said the students each average better than a 4.7 GPA, but she didn't expect to know their ultimate rankings until Friday after finals were tabulated.
Abid won't concede that he’ll be valedictorian, saying it's up for grabs. He isn't ruling out writing a speech, though.
Li knows better. “Dude," he cracked. "I have a 4.7 [average] and I’m in 6th place!”
