I started off at a community college because I had no idea what I wanted to do out of high school. After 2 years, I ended up applying and getting accepted as a transfer student to a really good private University. It is a very expensive college, so I made a goal to myself that I was going to graduate with high honors.
Well…fast forward and I graduate next Sunday, with a 3.78 GPA. I’m really proud of myself, especially because I work 6 days per week and am also planning my wedding. So I’ve had a lot on my plate, but my goal was to graduate with high honors so I worked really, really hard at trying to get all As. At one point I took 7 classes in a semester, and I pulled a LOT of all-nighters, but I was able to get it done.
Anyway, today I went to pick up my cap and gown at the graduation fair and noticed there were no honor cords in my bag. Clearly there was a mistake, so I went up to ask the person handing them out. She pointed me to a different guy, who told me to go clear across campus to the admissions office, to then told me to go to my Dean. Anyway, after literally 2 hours of running around…I get told that in order to quality as graduating with honors, I need to have taken 60 credit hours from the University. Well…guess how many I had taken (I transferred over 66 credits)? 59!!! Literally ONE credit hour away. I immediately started sobbing and asking if there was anything I could do. Somehow my advisor missed this when I went to create my schedule. I had done an internship over the semester, but I didn’t even think to register it as an elective because I had enough credit hours to graduate and I didn’t want to pay for the credit (it costs $890 per credit hour). Well, since I had done the internship, they said they would allow me to count it as late; HOWEVER, I’d have to go back and do all the paperwork, contact the company, have them write about me and fill out forms, then proceed to pay $890. ALL before next week.
I’ve literally been crying for the past hour. I know it’s stupid, but I worked my butt off and I could have just settled for lesser grades and had way less stress trying to juggle a million things. So basically I won’t even graduate with the lowest honors. Nothing. I got a 3.78 GPA and I’m going to walk across with nothing but a cap and gown. Yet people who got a 3.4 get some sort of honor recognition.
Plus, to make things worse, I told my parents a couple months ago that I would be graduating with high honors and they were so excited and sent out announcements stating that on them. Ugh. Now I have to go and tell everyone why I won’t have any cords.
Just needed to vent.
In the scheme of life this is a very small thing. And they were nice to give you the option of getting that internship credit back if it is so important to you. The important thing is that you will be graduating college and hopefully you have your next positive steps forward in your life planned out. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Enjoy the day and your accomplishment.
Exactly^^^
It’s a couple of cords that will go into a box. That’s where mine went until I donated them.
Unless you are paid for high honors, why should it matter?
So many people can’t say that they’ve graduated and received a degree and you are only walking with a cap and gown.
Most of the people that I graduated with worked their butts off to be good in their field, not to cry about having “high honors”.
If you can’t see this, then there are a lot more things going on that you need to work on.
I’m sorry this happened to you. But you should still hold your head high knowing what you’ve accomplished.
Employers are not going to be concerned with this. It is a matter of personal pride - but you should be proud. You did accomplish your goal. Whether or not you have a cord is not what matters - it’s what you’ve achieved. In a few years you might have a very different perspective on whether it’s worth it to pay $900 to wear a cord that shows - for one day - what you accomplished and will carry with you for a lifetime, cord or no cord.
You are still graduating with the grades of a high honors student, Lack of official recognition doesn’t take that away from you.
Congratulations, and walk across that stage with pride!
@“aunt bea” Thanks. I’ve been under the assumption I was going to graduate with honors, like I said, my parents went as far as printing it on my announcements and were going to be displaying it at my graduation party. Kind of awkward when I will walk with no cords at all. I understand this is a first world problem and might be considered stupid to you, but it was an important goal for me that I thought I had achieved, only to be let down today while picking up my cap and gown. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still blessed and excited to be graduating. But I think it’s fair for me to feel a little disappointed and want to vent, esp since it comes down to a technicality. Had I done not so great in a class and my GPA dropped out of contention, fine. I could deal with that. But the fact that I earned it, but a technicality takes me out…it sucks. TBH your reply came off a bit rude and insensitive.
Well, but you could do it if you hustled and got the paperwork on the internship filled out, right? How much does that entail?
@ SC Anteater, The paperwork would take awhile…as most students finish it over the course of the semester. I suppose if I worked non-stop on it I could get it done, though. The bigger issue is more that I’d have to pay $890 for it to count. So I’d basically be paying $890 for an honors cord. Doesn’t seem worth it to me. Just sucks that I feel like I earned it but a technicality takes me out of contention. I even worked with my counselor on creating all my schedules, so it wasn’t even something I had every considered.
@sadandstressed: I have three children who all have either already gone through their Bachelor’s ceremonies or are awaiting them. I told them to choose their battles. Two of the three were just so happy to be done, and to get into their grad schools, with “high honors”, that they didn’t really care what their diplomas said (which they received 3 months after graduation).
Since I’m “rude and insensitive” and direct, I think you need to get it done.
If the high honors are crucial for you to move on, pay the fees, have your supervisors sign the forms, then advise the registrar to hold your diploma until they add the high honors tag.
If your employer needs to see the diploma, which is rare, the university can send a transcript indicating that you’ve graduated.
Give them a date you expect all of the paperwork to be completed. They’ll wait. It sounds like your school is willing to work with you, take advantage of it.
Otherwise, you will always be miserable, and will lament: coulda, woulda, shoulda.
This is not what you want to hear, but I don’t think it is at all fair to blame your Dean for not understanding the 60 credit minimum needed to graduate with honors. Typically the requirements for honors are stated clearly online, in the course catalog, in a school handbook etc. As a transfer student it was ultimately your responsibility to check the school policy and be sure you met all the requirements to graduate with honors including having the correct number of credits (even if the Dean said things were fine). A few years ago my D had a question related to her graduating with honors based on what she saw in the online course catalog and she emailed the Registrar’s office to be sure of her status.
So here are your choices as I see them.
- Let your advisor know you want to get the internship credit. You and your Dean should confirm with the Registrar that it can be done. Thank him/her for that option. Have your parents pay the $890 first thing tomorrow and scramble to get the paperwork completed before graduation.
- Don’t get the credit and make yourself miserable at graduation.
- Let it go, forget about it, enjoy what you accomplished, and move on with your life.
@sadandstressed: I get why you’re upset… I’m sure that it feels like an injustice to you. It’s frustrating and disappointing. AND, you need to remember that no technicality can overshadow your hard work and accomplishment. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone at graduation! You’ll get a transcript with your (very impressive!) GPA. Believe me, future employers won’t ask to see your cords, or even your diploma. DO NOT give this occurrence the power to steal even a moment of your joy away from you. (You can get creative … go to the craft store and make your own cords! ) I promise you that before long you’ll look back on this with a whole different perspective, like the couple I know who spent a year planning a spectacular outdoor wedding reception that was undone by a hurricane. They ended up with the reception in the hotel basement… and they had a great time. You can’t control everything that happens to you – but you can control how you respond to it. Congratulations on all your hard work and motivation – Well done, you! Go out and have a fabulous graduation celebration.
If you had been told you needed that credit last summer, or even in January, what would you have done? You would still have needed to pay the $890, to get that credit, so don’t lament the cost. The issue is the timing, and unfortunately the missed opportunity falls on your shoulders. The same would have applied if you had wanted to minor, or double major - you would need to make yourself aware of the qualifications, and make sure you meet them. That’s not your advisor’s job. It’s also not your advisor’s job to assume you care about graduating with honors, unless you asked if you would qualify, and you were told YES. If it’s that important to you, do what you have to, but understand it’s not going to be listed on the graduation program, and won’t really mean anything to future employers - they care more about the GPA, and the individual grades, than honors.
No one — and I mean NO ONE hiring you or looking at a grad school application will know or care about this. You graduated and you have a very good GPA. Let it go.