Abstract
As in many countries, neoliberal policies have affected the field of education in Turkey. The competitive school ranking system and its meritocratic narratives have shaped students’ aspirations and their understanding the sources of success and failure. This study reveals the resonance of these policies on individuals. Through in-depth interviews with high-school students in Istanbul, this phenomenological qualitative study engaged with 29 students intensely. It is found that individuals aspired to reach top positions within the neoliberal system. Which corresponds to entering Anatolian High Schools in the Turkish education system. Often influenced by parents who helped to deliver the system’s messages, students themselves ignore their abilities and strive for promising positions in the market. They viewed themselves as solely responsible for their academic failures. However, this article suggests that student failure results from an educational system that encourages all students to pursue the same goals while ignoring their unique talents and predispositions.