![]() ![]() ![]() Since the valedictorian is usually the student ranked #1 in each class, it’s not easy to predict what GPA you’ll need in order to earn the title. ![]() ![]() Some schools might only include grades from courses in core subject areas while others may include both core classes and electives. You can check with your guidance counselor to see what your school’s policies are. There are also policy variations in which classes count towards the GPA that determines class ranking. However, when GPAs are only separated by tiny fractions of points, it may make sense to recognize more than one student with this honor. In this case, there might not be an actual valedictory speech (unless all the valedictorians write a speech together and say it in unison, which would be really creepy, so I’m all for it). 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. 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. In recent years, some high schools have adopted the policy of naming multiple students valedictorians. Since college admissions are so competitive now, more and more students are pushing themselves to achieve high levels of academic success in high school. By naming multiple valedictorians, schools acknowledge the impressive achievements of several students in a more equitable manner and reduce pressure and competition. Other schools use an unweighted GPA scale, meaning that course levels are not taken into account when calculating GPA. On an unweighted scale, GPAs only go up to a 4.0, which is equivalent to an A in any class regardless of level. In this case, the valedictorian could be a student who was in lower level classes but earned all A's. The valedictorian will almost always be the student in your class who has the highest GPA, but GPA can be measured on more than one scale (and sometimes schools have more than one valedictorian!). If your school uses weighted GPAs, meaning students in higher level classes can earn higher GPAs, the valedictorian is virtually guaranteed to be the student who has earned the highest grades in the most difficult classes. Weighted GPAs are typically measured on a 5-point scale, with a 5.0 being equivalent to an A in an Honors or AP class. How Are High School Valedictorians Chosen? The high school valedictorian traditionally delivers a speech (the “valedictory” speech) at graduation. Fun fact: The term valedictorian comes from the Latin vale dicere meaning “to say farewell” since the valedictorian usually delivers the last speech at the ceremony. Valedictory honors are determined by GPA, which may be measured differently depending on your high school. I’ll go over more specifics about variations in policy in the next section. If you are named valedictorian, it usually means that you have reached the highest level of academic achievement out of all the students in your class. At some schools, multiple students are named valedictorians. But how exactly do high schools choose valedictorians? Does the title mean anything for college applications? In this article, I’ll give you the details on what it means to be a valedictorian, how valedictorians are chosen, and whether this is a critical factor in the college admissions process. High school academics can be very competitive for driven students who hope to earn the coveted title of valedictorian. ![]()
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