<p>My D’s school also announced scholarships/awards for all the students. The students were asked to fill out index cards that listed all their scholarships. They were also asked to bring copies of all their acceptance letters and scholarships notifications to the office. </p>
<p>After each student’s name was read, they listed all the scholarships received. It was weird because they listed scholarships for schools the students aren’t attending. I couldn’t figure out why they were doing this…then at the end of the evening they announced that our students had received $6.7 M in scholarships…an increase from the previous year. </p>
<p>The school was using the scholarship totals to show improvement in the school and not a focus on any one student. Trust me after they read the first 10, no one was paying attention any more!!! </p>
<p>I will admit however, it is an odd practice and is in no way a reflection of what the student is actually receiving as it includes all schools they were accepted to.</p>
<p>If they were including need-based aid in that total, then their year-over-year “improvement” was more reflective of the downturn in the economy than any thing else.</p>
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Unless they paid your application fees for you. This information is none of their business.</p>
<p>I find this thread very interesting! Are there high schools that really announce all of the scholarship offers a student receives - even from schools they won’t attend? Why it pay to announce that? Many students have offers that they don’t accept, and, in reality, all that matters in the end is what they do accept.</p>
<p>My son’s high school requested scholarship amounts. It was pretty clear who had gotten financial aid (elite LAC don’t give merit scholarships, and some average students got far more in money to the state flagship than top students). The school referred to the amount of money as a financial award. This information was shared during senior awards night, along with the local scholarships and senior class awards. </p>
<p>Students didn’t have to share their information, but were encouraged to do so.</p>
<p>We told the GC which schools accepted our S and left scholarship info blank. The printed booklet handed out (yes, printed booklet) at graduation had only info we gave them and some small local scholarship info they had because we had to apply through the school.</p>
<p>I think publicly announcing scholarships is distasteful, too. Graduations already give laudes to the high-achievers (usually), and it lengthens the ceremony.</p>
<p>That said, this is one point where the school can honor their scholars as opposed to their sports stars, and it’s away from the usual focus on getting their low-achievers to pass state exams.</p>
<p>Of course, you want to add up all the scholarships from all the colleges. You get a bigger number that way.</p>
<p>In my high school, we had a day where Trustee awards were given out, and the rest of the night was spent anouncing a college a calling up each student’s name to get a certificate congratulating them on attending a higher institution (this included vocational schools, CCs, art schools,etc.). I come from a very bad highschool and I was told the ceremony was meant to encourage kids to go somewhere after hs. Scholarships, merit and otherwise, were also announced.</p>