I’m sure we’ve all heard a teacher say “grades don’t define you.” This is usually the response most kids get when they are stressing about their B+ or asking for extra credit. While grades certainly are not a testament to your character, grades do define you in the eyes of college admissions. Obviously, your grades are far from the only thing that colleges take into account, but they are usually one of the most important factors. If you have dreams of being accepted into a top college, grades are extremely important.

Despite popular belief, the difference between a 3.8 and a 4.0 can determine which schools accept you and which don’t. Even if you’re a freshman, your grades now will still play a huge roll in the college application process. It’s important to remember that, even if college is years away, what you are doing now in your academic career can set the course of your future.

In a recent Bates College study, researchers came to the conclusion that your GPA may mean more to a college than your SAT or ACT scores due to the fact that high school academic records better predict one’s future success in college.

Obviously, one can get good grades and not do well when faced with the challenges of college, but when it comes to getting accepted into top schools, a stellar GPA is a solid way to show colleges that you are ready for the challenges that their university will present. Grades often do not serve as a measure of your intelligence, rather, grades show colleges how hard you are willing to work to accomplish goals.

Additionally, an above average GPA (above a 3.2), can score you some scholarships that may allow you to attend a more expensive school. Student loans are a burden that affects the majority of American college students and having the means to not have to take out loans or greatly reduce them can be life changing.

But grades aren’t everything.

With a 5 billion dollar net worth and the equivalent of a 10th grade education, Richard Nicholas Branson defines success, despite his unsatisfactory academics. An english businessman and entrepreneur, Branson dropped out of school at 16 in order to pursue his own interests.

During his schooling years, he struggled with dyslexia, received low grades, and was told that he would not amount to anything in the world. He understood that school simply was not working towards his benefit and decided to take his future into his own hands. Shortly after dropping out, Branson went on to found his first business, Student Magazine, a successful student-owned business, and he is currently an international powerhouse.

Celebrities such as Branson are prime examples of finding success without an ideal education because they concentrated on the topics that they were passionate about.

In this generation, there is an immense amount of stress laid on high school students to achieve a 4.0 GPA because they are taught that attending a prestigious university equals success. The fault, however, resides in students feeling the pressure to focus more on formulating the ideal high school transcript rather than doing something with their life that interests them.

Now obviously, it is not ideal to drop out of the education system all together just because things get difficult. Success is also not equivalent to superfluous amounts of money either. The point is that individuals go out into the world pursuing something out of passion, not out of reward of money or grades.

Frankly, straight A’s and grade point averages are simply just numbers on a sheet of paper. Eventually, the statistics of high school transcripts fade away, and success is needed to be found in what an individual is passionate about. Too often are grades used to define what students are capable of when in reality, the very thing that drives individuals and gives them purpose is what will truly bring them success.