Most high school students work hard to get high grades and good reputations among teachers. They join extra curricular activities and try out for sports teams for a chance to receive recognition in a school related activity. They also try to obtain leadership positions by becoming a captain or receiving a first place award in a competition. They cram for standardized tests like SATs, ACTs, PSATs, and SAT IIs by memorizing vocabulary words. More often than not, it is for the sake of college applications.
High school affects students' futures by influencing what college they go to.
Employers want hard working people with strong educational backgrounds rooted in college academics. Completing college applications is a very long and strenuous process. Students must first choose which colleges are most suitable for them. This may require reading through pamphlets, researching on the web, or talking to older friends. Then, they must find the application for each college.