I think every kid should write down their UW/W GPA in sharpie on a half-sheet of notebook paper and attach it to their cap.
Lol. Again, I never thought about it until this year when D17 was on the cusp. I thought the robe color thing was commonplace, all of (I think) our local publics do it. D17 will be in the last row of the ranked section, and thrilled to be there. There will be kids horrified not to be in the front row and kids horrified to be in the black robes. I can see now after giving it some thought, that it’s kind of gross. Another of our local high schools publishes the pictures and bios of their top 10 students in the newspaper. Imagine how number 11 feels? Not sure of the right answer, for whatever reason that’s the customary way to do it here.
My kids’ school doesn’t even do cap and gown, for which I am grateful. Girls wear white dresses of their own choice, boys white pants and navy blazers. Anyway, the pertinent part is that the top students are honored the day before graduation in a cum laude ceremony that only recipients (and families) are invited to. I think that’s perfect – they get celebrated, but it’s not in everyone else’s face.
@soxmom That’s how most of the private boarding and day schools do it in the NE. D’s school switched to cap and gown sometime after I graduated but the girls still wear white dresses under their gowns. The boys wear school ties. I am unaware if there are any cords given to be worn to signify cum laude. I like the tradition.
Congrats to @lovethebard @srk2017 @crazym0m on Vandy!
@snoozn, LOL!
Graduation - D’s school does not rank and does not do val/sal. In Senior year there is a separate awards ceremony where they get their honor cords and then everybody wears the same cap and gown to graduation. So no wall of shame or scarlet letter equivalents, thank goodness.
I am too busy with reading CC and FB, that I have no time to think about graduation =)) Next task is to figure out Vandy visit. round trip ticket from Nor Cal is $550 and Kayak advised me to wait few days 
Until a few years ago, our schools all did one color gown for boys and the other school color for girls. They have changed to let all kids select the color they prefer. As the parent of a trans kid (DS21) who has friends who reject the binary gender thing, I’m happy about that.
There are various tassel colors for NHS and other things and something for over 200 hours of community service. I don’t know the details yet, since I’ve never been to a graduation here before. There is a separate senior honors program where only people getting some sort of award are invited.
I seriously doubt there is anything obvious about rank. The Val and Sal don’t speak; instead people write speeches and try out. Class and ASB presidents do speak.
Ouch @srk2017! Do you or your wife have frequent flyer miles saved up? That is what we intend to use for trips next month, as DH travels far too much.
I do have miles through credit card, so I guess I can try those @Ynotgo .
At our Ds’ (all girls) HS the girls wear a white dress under a white graduation robe, and the only difference/designation of honors is a NHS stole. Val and Sal speak at graduation, and are listed as such in the program. The program also lists college acceptances (that the girls want included) and scholarships (by name, not monetary value), are also listed by college. I think the college where the girls will be attending is listed first, or perhaps in bold? Can’t remember. If a student is accepted into the honors program at a school it is only listed for the school that will be attended. Finally, all students receive their diploma in alphabetical order, and when their names are called they announce where the student will be attending. In our D13’s graduation there were a couple who were undecided. Luckily it is common for everyone to behave so that all names are heard (no outbursts of cheering); however, girls who enlist in the military are usually heartily cheered…I assume if one goes to one of the military academies that would be celebrated as similarly. It’s a fantastic culmination to their four years of HS!
At the end of April there is an evening event for students (freshmen – seniors) who have achieved an honor of some sort in academics, service, art, theater, music, athletics, and ECs, during the school year. Honoree families receive an invitation via mail saying their daughter will be receiving an award, although you’re not really sure what your daughter will be receiving until the event.
Btw, from an earlier discussion, our Ds’ HS does not rank beyond Val and Sal; college counselors let the GCs know years ago that the students would receive more scholarships if they were an un-ranking HS, so they changed their policy to benefit the girls – yay for that!
D’s HS still ranks, but they’re transitioning out of it and doing the magna / summa thing. All kids wear black, sit alphabetically, and cords are the only designation used for different types of honors. I really wish they had tryouts for speeches, but each val / sal gets to speak for around 5-7 minutes. When D15 graduated, there were about 14 of them (!)
I do agree that differentiating top students by robe color is a rather in-your-face way to honor them. Much nicer to have a special cord and an asterisk in the program. Then it’s something to be noticed and acknowledged for a moment or two, and not for the entire ceremony.
congrats to all that have gotten good news. here there has been nothing bad news. D did not qualify for any merit f
from CofC. Meanwhile issues still submitting tax docs to the CSS schools because of a mixup with D’s SS number. Of course she hung onto the emails and did not send them to me until monday. Meanwhile, Tuesday night after a trip, my laptops hard drive died. Had to get a new laptop yesterday and restore from backup, but of course nothing recent was backed up, including our taxes that I did monday night.
so D may not get diploma over a snafu of an online course (personal fitness). She is working to pass the class now that she understands what is needed. So offers may be rescinded. The school district cannot waive. They can offer for her to take a simultaneous class, but that is too much for her and her anxiety.
So to recap
- no colleges so far offering merit. We can pay, but it wont be pretty
- Waiting on the ultra expensive reach schools. Even if accepted, probably money wont be enough.
- mixup with current online class and several panic attacks.
- May not even get diploma until summer (not sure what happens to offers)
- Friend and boy issues
- Sinus issues mixed with allergy issues and recent shoulder injury.
Just trying to get her to hold on and keep her chin up.
Hugs @sdl0625
Hang in there.
Here I thought one of my son’s was the only one to screw up his SS number.
Oh @sdl0625 So sorry for the current rough patch. hugs Hoping things go smoother from here on out.
@srk2017 @crazym0m @LoveTheBard congrats on CV scholarship at Vandy. It is a beautiful campus and if they choose to attend, I bet they will thrive there!
Unfortunately, for D17 it was a “No soup for you” outcome and thus a NFW school. Admission decision is due soon, I think.
D17 got her previous SLU scholarship bumped up as a finalist for the presidential scholarship. She learned about this through a slightly ambiguous voice mail that probably means she did not win the presidential. She doesn’t want to push back and all will be clear in 36 hours anyway.
She is also waiting for an answer about the USC(ali) and BU trustee scholarships. At USC for her department, it seems like it may come down to one of the two interviewees being awarded the trustee. I may be giving away my thin veneer of anonymity, but if you were at the 2nd trustee Explore USC, you know us as we individually escorted out by the assistant director of admissions for the department since no other candidates were there. It would have been brutal, I think, if the two candidates directly competing were there and were trying to bond.
D 17 is now getting to experience what S 14 did. Lots of good outcomes early and then a series of body blows during March madness. (I have previously stated my fondness for mixed metaphor.)
Onward and upward…
At my D’s school students with over a 4.2 W GPA are considered summa cum laude and wear a white stole. I see it as an honor that is earned, and being honored does not distract from ones humility, in fact it is an opportunity to show it. NHS members wear a red hood and honors cords can be earned by participating in sports, band and service clubs.
Big hugs to @sdl0625’s D. Hopefully things will sort themselves out and she’ll have some great options for the fall. Did she apply to any financial safeties like state schools or schools with automatic merit?
As for the online course snafu, can the counselor can write something to the schools? I can’t imagine an acceptance being rescinded over a health class!
@srk2017 - did you check Southwest? They fly into Nashville.
@Dave_N - sorry about your D’s not getting the CV. Hopefully she’ll get some of the other merit awards (they say that by applying for the CV, you ensure consideration for the other awards). Fingers crossed for that and for USC. As a trustee finalist for USC, doesn’t she automatically get a 1/2 tuition awarded to her?
I think stoles, and cords are quite appropriate. Elegant yet clear. I just don’t like the whole different colored robe idea.
Our older kids HS had all 4.0 students as Val’s and all spoke, 14 of them! The younger kids have Senior speakers try out, there is no Val or Sal (which is how it was at my HS as well).
@sdl0625 I am so so sorry. I really hope the fitness thing can be worked out, I’m stressed for you both and that’s enough right there to make anyone feel ill. Super frustrating on the SS, those things can be fixed I am sure but the added handicap of a dead laptop and sinus issues…sending you a virtual “calgon take you away” bath moment.
@sdl0625 I’m sorry that everything has been falling apart. When it rains, it pours. Hang in there . . .