Meaning of Valedictorian

<p>Do you all expect the valedictorian to be the smartest person in your class? How would you feel if you were valedictorian, but you know there are people smarter than you?</p>

<p>I think it would be pretty weird.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t feel right, I would almost feel like I’m cheating the others.</p>

<p>Last year our third in class was as smart as our valedictorians. I mean, what’s the huge difference between having gotten one B in a class (which may have even been gym or health or something equally inconsequential) and having gotten all As? The people are equally intelligence, it was almost just chance.
This year, though, the valedictorian is a complete and utter idiot. I mean, he gets great grades and he’s somehow “smart” and I even like him, we worked together over the summer and he’s fun, but he is an idiot. But he’s just one of a couple valedictorians. I have to say that in general our vals this year don’t seem all that smart.
But I’m pretty sure about at least two of the vals in my grade, and they are absolute geniuses, definitely the smartest people in my grade. One guy might be as smart as they are but he doesn’t care at all, so he may have gotten a B.</p>

<p>haha our valedictorian happens to be the smartest person in the grade but that’s pure coincidence</p>

<p>i’m second and there are people smarter than i</p>

<p>at my school, it’s just based on how many weighted classes you’ve taken – there are about 12 4.0s. students who took, say, band and latin (unweighted classes) are at a disadvantage, although obviously they’re likely just as smart as those who didn’t.</p>

<p>It means you did a pretty bang-up job in high school. But whether you’re first in class or twelfth in class or sixtieth in class, it holds absolutely no bearing to how “successful” you will be in the future. Grades are arbitrary. :]</p>

<p>Well you may have guessed but I’m valedictorian of my class. I guess I’m insecure because everyone seems surprised to find out I’m V because there’s this guy that almost everyone thinks is a super genius. I don’t think he’s that much smarter than me but it really makes me feel bad when he’s getting early acceptances to princeton and stanford, and I don’t think I’ll even get into those schools. The big difference between us is test scores. His are much much higher. I’m a bad test taker.</p>

<p>I have, by far, the highest SAT scores in my class of 200+ but I’m only in the top 20%.</p>

<p>Of course, SATs don’t measure intelligence perfectly etc. but they are better than grades, which really just show work ethic (and stability in your life).</p>

<p>Im the valadictorian at my school and theres quite a few people I consider smarter than myself.</p>

<p>I don’t think it would be weird. Valedictorian is an award given to the person with the highest GPA. Highest GPA does not always mean most intelligent.</p>

<p>At my school, in addition to Val, we have “Star Student”, which is highest SAT score.</p>

<p>Ummm…definitely not the smartest student by any means…I’m currently valedictorian so yeah…</p>

<p>Databox + reapthen: are you guys are okay with it? I was at first, since I was ecstatic, but then it dawned on me whether I really deserve it or not. I worked hard for it, but part of me still thinks…well…I’m not really smarter than so and so…</p>

<p>In my case it was true, but in most cases it isn’t.</p>

<p>Our val is one of the smartest. Our sal doesn’t really deserve the position, in my opinion. She only took ~4 APs. I’ve taken more than that :|. I talk to the val everyday and the sal and I exchange "hey"s in the hallway. -shrug- :o</p>

<p>Why would Val have to be the “smartest”? Val IMO is a combination of smart AND work ethic. Of course the val has to be smart enough but if they are not willing to take the hardest courses and applying themselves then that top GPA will not happen. </p>

<p>In both my son and daughter’s years, I am aware of students who are very very smart and if they chose to put in effort would/could be val. But in these students cases, doing homework, staying awake in class, etc are beneath them. The “classes are too easy”. Sure my kids have had “easy” hard classes over the years, but their responses have been to help others in the class in their spare time. Different responses to similar experiences. </p>

<p>There is one student about whom D feels bad. A brilliant student who is ranked 4 and like the two vals has 4.0s across the board but took one fewer AP in her junior year.</p>

<p>I love the idea of the “star student”. It would be nice to have another form of academic award but our school instead of adding academic awards is discontinuing rank after this year. They will be doing percentiles only.</p>

<p>

It’s not too horrible to be proud about hard work, right?</p>

<p>Alex</p>

<p>Good Q. I have the #1 ranking but I won’t get the ~<em>official</em>~ title because I got a detention last year for “Violence”. It’s not what ANYONE thinks though and it was really stupid but I’m wondering how the person who gets it instead of me will feel knowing that the only reason they got the title was because I got disqualified for a stupid reason… Yes I’m bitter but who wouldn’t be…</p>

<p>

What will your class rank be?</p>

<p>It’s still #1 but I won’t get officially recognized as val. I guess it doesn’t really matter but meh, would have been nice.</p>