<p>Some schools base Jefferson on who applies ED to UVa. However obviously since UVA is still ED this year, some students with 4.0 UW, 1400+ SATs in state choose not to apply to UVa if they are also interested in going elsewhere since they know they'll probably get in and then only have that choice. So I'm not sure if your daughter applied ED or not but the school might have used that as a criteria at some point. You should put in a 'request' or whatever that you're interested in the school's nomination for W and M's scholarship. The worst they can do is ignore it, and it might help.</p>
<p>It has been so helpful to me to read all these comments from other parents whose wonderful kids have not been showered with awards. My daughter has received one honor in her entire school career, while the same one or two kids receive awards again and again and again. She takes it in stride, never complaining, and I'm the one hurting for her (although doing my best not to complain in front of her). Part of me is dreading graduation, knowing that she will yet again not get any recognition. I know one parent actually did complain to the principal about this one kid who gets everything -- and sure enough, she got another award last year. Anyway, it's nice to know my family is not alone in this.</p>
<p>And to the OP -- my sympathies, but it probably is best to move on. The only possible advice I'd give is asking a school board member to find out what the process is, but not in the hopes of changing it this year. Or perhaps see if the student newspaper wants to do a story on how honors are decided.</p>
<p>I wrote a similar post over a year ago when I was hurting that my daughter (same type of profile as many of the other kids noted on this thread, near top of the class, ultra high test scores, etc. etc) again did not receive awards from her school, while one kid received the lion's share year after year after year. At the high school graduation/senior awards, this kid again received the lion's share. I will never belittle the OP's pain by telling OP to just "get over it", because it can still hurt a long time later. For parents and kids.</p>
<p>What I will say is that, despite the pain then, it does all work out in the end. My D is very happy where she is as a freshman and just as involved in similar activities in college as she was in high school. She's infinitely happier now than she was in high school, because she has found many more like-minded kids to "hang" with and has dozens more opportunities than she did before. I wish your child much luck in the process. It usually DOES work out in the end, if a broad range of options are considered from the git go. </p>
<p>Although my D did not do much of this, your kid CAN garner more of these awards by exploring and applying for gobs of specific/but not individually lucrative scholarships. One girl I know applied for a great number of these small scholarships (one from her church denomination, some essay application-type ones, etc) and ending up being awarded 5 or 6 of these...most worth about $500 to $1000, not much, but added up to a good amount of scholarship money for her freshman year and lots of mentions in the local newspaper!</p>
<p>This thread takes me back a few years. There were some objective awards, e.g. best math student. Still, others went to highest GPA, and the school decided not to count A's earned in the local U. My S took 10 classes at U, as well as 5 in HS. For his senior year, he only had English 4 left at HS. His GPA would have dropped to who-knows-what. His solution? Apllied to college as a junior.
Side note--I observed that HS students who had parents very active in the school seemed favored.</p>
<p>I am probably going to encourage my younger daughter to NOT apply for many scholarships simply because of what we experienced with her older sister, who spent countless hours filling out forms, writing essays, etc. to just see so-called "merit scholarships" always go to needy or minority students. Don't misinterpret what I am saying, though. I am thrilled for anyone who applies for and receives a scholarship as long as it is truly awarded on the basis of the stated requirements/objective (merit, need-based, etc.). The Robert C. Byrd is one that I will encourage her to apply for because it is simply based on unweighted GPA, class rank, SAT/ACT scores in our state. That is one that her older sister did get.</p>
<p>Top high school students often do not seem to get the recognition they deserve in many cases and have to just "suck it up and go on" to bigger and better opportunities at the college level. End of the year high school award ceremonies usually do not highlight the outstanding academic students at all. I have sat through enough of them as a teacher and as a parent to watch valedictorians come away with no recognition whatsoever, while average to above-average students reap awards galore.</p>
<p>My older daughter has proven herself in such a big way in college with outstanding grades and recognitions that she can really put some of those nasty high school experiences behind her now. We do not hesitate to run articles about her successes in the local newspaper. We are very proud of her and knew that she would use her academic gifts wisely.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>I think next fall when I don't have a senior I'll e-mail the pincipal or acacdemic dean and suggest that the process be a little more open. >></p> </blockquote>
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<p>If you plan to do this, do it the day after graduation. Otherwise it will be too late for next fall.</p>
<p>Re: other honors...like quiltguru states...while our daughter didn't get any awards during high school, she DID receive four of the 12 outsid scholarships that were listed in the graduation program, and these were minimally $500 (one renewable)...not bad for a kid that the highs school did NOT recognize at all.</p>
<p>My daughter applied for a bunch of the small local scholarships. These were announced during Daily Announcements at school, and those interested needed to go to the guidance office to get the applications from a drawer which students were free to look through. She applied for the four which she qualified for, and none of the applications were very time consuming (a short essay for some; a recommendation for one, I believe; a transcript for some). She received all four scholarships she applied for: one was designated for a female member of the Marching Band ($1000), one for community service, requiring a short essay about the community service performed (given to about 10 students from our town attending various public and private high schools, $1000), one from the teachers' union, requiring a short essay about an inspirational teacher (given to 5 students, $250), and one from a foundation in memory of a person, requiring a short essay about academic goals ($300/year for four years, given to about 15 students county-wide). These four totaled over $3500, which is a drop in the bucket out of her total private college fees, but a huge sum for her to earn for a few hours effort, compared her earnings at her low paying part time jobs. I think that she was so successful because not many other students seemed to bother to look through the files to see which they might be eligible for and to apply for them, so the competition was not very great for these.</p>
<p>I know that adcom at UVa shuttles qualified applicants that are outside of nomination regions to the Jefferson Foudation. I don't know whether this applies to those students that are within nomination regions. At the Uva forum here, an admission officer, "Dean J", will be able to answer such a querry. Go there and pose your question directly to him/her in the title. </p>
<p>If you are an alum of Uva, the Alumni Office also has an admission liason person that will be able to provide a definitive answer. Otherwise you can call the Jefferson Foundation directly. </p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>