Valedictorian/Salutatorian

**rahtotheames** · 02-11-2009, 10:52 AM

What are your thoughts on this award(in high school)? What do you think the criteria for the award should be?

**cmoneyr** · 02-11-2009, 10:55 AM

I'm for it!

**dosry5** · 02-11-2009, 10:56 AM

I think we should check with Obama. Is it really fair to let just 2 people get the award? What about the rest of the kids who went to school? What award are they gonna get? Spread the wealth around.

**cmoneyr** · 02-11-2009, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by dosry5

I think we should check with Obama. Is it really fair to let just 2 people get the award? What about the rest of the kids who went to school? What award are they gonna get? Spread the wealth around.

This post lacks funny.

**dosry5** · 02-11-2009, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by cmoneyr

This post lacks funny.

Sorry, I'm awaiting my redistribution of humor from those who have more....

**Palmer** · 02-11-2009, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by dosry5

Sorry, I'm awaiting my redistribution of humor from those who have more....

away to the cave you!!

**dosry5** · 02-11-2009, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Palmer

away to the cave you!!

Sorry. It's probably residual anger left over from not being winning either of those honors in high school. And from always getting picked last in dodge ball.

**cmoneyr** · 02-11-2009, 11:02 AM

It's probably residual anger left over from not being winning either of those honors in high school.

Color me shocked!

**IcSyU** · 02-11-2009, 11:08 AM

I know in my high school, we had levels when it came to classes. Some started with algebra early, some as freshman, and some did pre-algebra as freshman. Some started with a basic science class, some biology, and some chemistry depending on how they place you. I was in the higher classes as well as the co-valedictorians, and ended up #3 in my class. #4-#7 were students who took all easy classes in high school, and #8-#10 were students who took the harder classes with us. I had a problem with #4-#7 getting better scholarship opportunities based solely on rank in the class and not having anything to do with where they were truly at academically. The 4-7 students were good students, but they wouldn't have had 3.9+ with a more difficult schedule like 8-10 did. 8-10 were head and shoulders better students, but essentially got punished for taking more difficult classes.

**dosry5** · 02-11-2009, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by cmoneyr

Color me shocked!

that hurts a little bit.

**BKLYNCyclone** · 02-11-2009, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by IcSyU

I know in my high school, we had levels when it came to classes. Some started with algebra early, some as freshman, and some did pre-algebra as freshman. Some started with a basic science class, some biology, and some chemistry depending on how they place you. I was in the higher classes as well as the co-valedictorians, and ended up #3 in my class. #4-#7 were students who took all easy classes in high school, and #8-#10 were students who took the harder classes with us. I had a problem with #4-#7 getting better scholarship opportunities based solely on rank in the class and not having anything to do with where they were truly at academically. The 4-7 students were good students, but they wouldn't have had 3.9+ with a more difficult schedule like 8-10 did. 8-10 were head and shoulders better students, but essentially got punished for taking more difficult classes.

Agreed. Personally I think that the award itself doesn't do anything but recognize the fact that the student that won it worked their butt off. In my high school class there were 2 co-valedictorians. One of them took every college level class and AP course available while the other took 2-3 study halls a semester and didn't take a single AP course. While I don't know if the courses should have weight to them, (I don't want to punish some kid who took 1 less ap course then another) I do think that there should be a minimum amount of advanced courses that would be required in order to be elgible for the to 5-10% of class rankings.

**cychhosis** · 02-11-2009, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by BKLYNCyclone

Agreed. Personally I think that the award itself doesn't do anything but recognize the fact that the student that won it worked their butt off. In my high school class there were 2 co-valedictorians. One of them took every college level class and AP course available while the other took 2-3 study halls a semester and didn't take a single AP course. While I don't know if the courses should have weight to them, (I don't want to punish some kid who took 1 less ap course then another) I do think that there should be a minimum amount of advanced courses that would be required in order to be elgible for the to 5-10% of class rankings.

Maybe some of the AP students should have to take vocational classes like welding. Let's dangle their GPA on hand-eye coordination. What comes easy for one, may not come easy for another.

**Palmer** · 02-11-2009, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by dosry5

Sorry. It's probably residual anger left over from not being winning either of those honors in high school. And from always getting picked last in dodge ball.

I was voted 'best hair'

**cyclonenum1** · 02-11-2009, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by BKLYNCyclone

Agreed. Personally I think that the award itself doesn't do anything but recognize the fact that the student that won it worked their butt off. In my high school class there were 2 co-valedictorians. One of them took every college level class and AP course available while the other took 2-3 study halls a semester and didn't take a single AP course. While I don't know if the courses should have weight to them, (I don't want to punish some kid who took 1 less ap course then another) I do think that there should be a minimum amount of advanced courses that would be required in order to be elgible for the to 5-10% of class rankings.

As one that was a valedictorian with a son that will likely be a salutatorian this spring, I believe that a weighted GPA should be used...giving more weight to the more rigorous courses (AP and Honors courses).

Having said that, those that challenged themselves the most in their classwork are likely to be the ones that do the best in college and ultimately in their careers.

**tzjung** · 02-11-2009, 12:09 PM

I was Salutatorian in HS. I recieved one A- in my HS career by my Freshman english teacher that ended up costing me Co-Valedictorian....I'm not bitter or anything though!

.

What angers me are all these schools which give out A+'s to those who take AP classes and do well. I'm calling Shenanigans on that bullsh*t. You can NOT get over a 4.0, I'm sorry, its impossible. A+'s shouldn't exist and cause your GPA to look better than it actually is.

Especially if you are applying to different Colleges and are being compared to other studens by class Rank and GPA. A student shouldn't be punished because their school doesn't give out A+'s when they get an 'A' in a college course. Also..I had 11 Credits of 4.0 from UNI (Including Humanities 1 &2 which are hard as ***** as those who went to UNI can tell you) when I graduated HS, so I took a rigorous schedule.