Sometimes valedictory honors are given to all students who achieve straight A averages or to several students who have all earned the same top GPAs. The policy of naming multiple valedictorians has faced criticism from those who argue that it simply points to rampant grade inflation and devalues the title of valedictorian. However, when GPAs are only separated by tiny fractions of points, it may make sense to recognize more than one student with this honor.
There are also policy variations in which classes count towards the GPA that determines class ranking. Some schools might only include grades from courses in core subject areas while others may include both core classes and electives. You may have heard about students who were valedictorians of past classes but earned a lower GPA than the student ranked fifth in your class.
Some classes are more or less competitive than others! If you wanna be the top goat which I think is what valedictorians should really be called , you may have to lock horns with other super driven students in your class.
Relax nerds, there's no actual physical activity involved. Valedictorian isn't the only title that students can earn for academic achievements in high school. At most schools, the salutatorian is the student ranked second in the class after the valedictorian.
Usually, the salutatorian will also give a speech at graduation. Salutatorians are slightly cooler than valedictorians. Okay, I'm biased because I was salutatorian in high school, but let's face it, it's kind of true. Some high schools will also offer Latin honors to students who achieve certain GPAs. You may have heard of this practice in the context of college academics. Students are given the titles of cum laude , magna cum laude , and summa cum laude as markers of their academic achievements.
Different high schools will have different GPA thresholds for each honor. These honors are also sometimes given out based on class rank percentile. The only Latin phrase that most of us know. Seize the carp. That's what it means, right? The title of valedictorian, as we have seen, can mean different things depending on your high school. If you're a valedictorian, you will have a very high GPA and probably high test scores as well , and those qualifications will be the things that actually get you into selective colleges.
We advise students to take the more advanced version of a course if they think they can earn at least a B. Working with your peers will benefit you both. You could get a study buddy or create an accountability group to ensure that you and your friends are all working hard. Your teachers want you to succeed. Above all else, though, you should prioritize your mental health. Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.
Other aspects of your application matter, too. Here are tips for making your profile stand out. Extracurricular activities play a pivotal role in the admissions process. In order to prepare, spend high school developing and honing your passions outside of the classroom. If you can start finding more ways to express your positivity about a class or a teacher or a study group, then you will naturally start getting more out of life.
Positivity is what allows you to feel good about your corner of the world, so employ it often. Then, work to accomplish it and see how you feel by the end of your efforts. The typical student who ends up at the top of his or her class gets to that point because they have a natural curiosity or inquisitiveness about the world around them.
They may not want to be a math major when they get to college, but they are able to harness their spirit of adventure and experimentation long enough to find something that fascinates them about the material they are studying. This might sound difficult to do, but it is actually quite simple. It begins with one simple question: Why? Now try it on your own. Identify one class subject you have trouble with. From there, identify a single aspect of that subject that stumps you.
In English, for example, you might be experiencing difficulty with diagramming sentences. Why do we have to do this? After all, you will never need to diagram a sentence the way your teacher shows you while on the job, will you? Well, not unless you become an English teacher. This article was co-authored by Jennifer Kaifesh.
Jennifer has over 15 years of experience managing and facilitating academic tutoring and standardized test prep as it relates to the college application process. She is a graduate of Northwestern University.
This article has been viewed , times. What do all of these celebrities have in common? They were all valedictorians of their class. Though being valedictorian won't make you a supermodel or singer, it can set you on an impressive path that can lead you to succeed in your college career and in the world at large.
All you need is to have mental toughness, endurance, and an unbeatable work ethic. So how do you do it? Just follow these steps. If you want to become valedictorian, choose your classes wisely. If your school weights their GPAs, take as many AP and Honor's classes as you can handle and be sure to come to class prepared every day. When you can, read ahead so you can master the content and impress your teacher.
You don't have to be the teacher's pet, but you should stand out as a smart and committed student. While being valedictorian is an impressive goal, make sure to leave time for friends and extracurricular activities too. To learn how to study smart to do well in your difficult classes, keep reading!
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Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Start young. Unfortunately, in most cases, you can't just waltz into your high school on the first day of freshman year and decide to be valedictorian. You'll need to have proved yourself in middle school by taking the most rigorous math and English courses that your middle school had to offer.
Some middle schools don't have tracking for their classes, but some do offer Honors courses as early as seventh or eighth grade. Being in these courses will set you on a path to honors courses in high school, so make sure you've laid the groundwork for this. You can move up in English more easily, but once you're "locked" into a math track, it'll be harder to move ahead. For example, if you're in regular Algebra in 8th grade, you'll have to go to regular Geometry in 9th unless you've really proven yourself.
If you can take two math classes, as this can help you get ahead. Learn how your school chooses its valedictorian. Some schools rank students with an unweighted GPA, while others award extra points for harder classes. Most schools do offer extra points for taking harder courses so you should aim to take these; and even if your school doesn't offer extra points for harder courses, you should still aim for success; after all, if you want to be valedictorian, then you probably want to go to a top-notch school, which means you'll have to take the most challenging classes anyway.
For example, if your school does use a weighted GPA to determine valedictorian, then you may receive a 4. A valedictorian also typically gives a graduation speech in front of their classmates. But if this is the part that appeals to you the most, then make sure that the speech-giver is the valedictorian. Some schools have the student body president give a speech, some have students vote for which student should give the speech, while others have the valedictorian and the student body president and another student give a speech.
Some schools have more than one valedictorian -- or as many as 29! Choose your classes wisely. If your school does factor the weighted GPA into their decision to choose the valedictorian, then you should take the most rigorous courses whenever possible. If you think that the harder classes may be too tough for you, then you may need to rethink being valedictorian.
To be the valedictorian, you have to get As in the hardest classes at your school pretty much every time. Are you up for the challenge? Take AP classes over honors classes when you can, if they are worth more points.
Your electives can really hurt your weighted GPA because they tend to be considered regular classes. However, all students in your school will most likely be expected to take some electives, such as gym or art class. Whenever you can, though, try to take an elective that is worth more points, if you have the option.
For example, don't take Creative Writing if it is considered a regular class; take AP Language and Composition if it is offered to everyone instead.
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