My high school has a rather popular newspaper that comes out around every few months. They will be releasing the last one soon, and according to the editor-in-chief, they will dedicate a whole column listing where every senior is going to college. Individual names and all.
What’s YOUR opinion on this?
Personally, I’m not ashamed/embarrassed of my college in any way. However, I can understand why this may be an issue to some students. Especially since they were not notified of it, nor were we asked for permission. The only reason how I found out was because my friend is the editor.
Not OK to do it without permission. There are plenty of reasons why someone wouldn’t want their college to be known- and not all of them have to do with being ashamed/embarrassed.
I think it’s more tasteful, respectful, and less intrusive to include a full list of class acceptances to all colleges, asterisked with the institutions chosen (with permission of those students), but without any names. That list still makes them all feel very proud of each other and themselves, and also is information for parents. If the individuals want to ask each other privately, they will (and usually do, anyway). Students generally know much more about each other, in detail, before anything is released publicly anyway.
I agree that this is not okay without asking the students’ permission, or at least giving them the option to request their name/school not be included. I’m surprised that a school would do this. At my kids’ school, parents have to sign a whole truckload of permission slips each year for everything from being in the yearbook, having the kid’s name in the school newspaper, sharing info with scholarships and grad product companies, etc.
D’s school newspaper staff gave every senior a form that could be filled out. In addition to college choice students were allowed to list other plans (work,military) as every student does not attend college. Most students (but not all) chose to have the information published.
S’s school newspaper publishes a senior edition which includes everyone’s college destination (100% of the students go on to college). As far as I know, no one has any problem with it.
My kids’ school publishes a list every year. I think it has 100% participation. I think it’s a good idea for kids to know the whereabouts of their classmates. I am desparately looking for the whereabouts of my HS and college classmates now but I cannot find many.
Our local HS is part of the biggest school district in the state. They list names, schools and amounts of scholarships for all. This does not bother me - and it wouldn’t even if my kids didn’t go to college. I’m just throwing it out here as a data point.
Our HS publishes as well. I do not know if kids can opt out but I would assume so given how other things are done. I think it is great for all to see the wide variety of plans the kids have made. It shows that there really is more than one option out there.
The private high school my S went to publishes every acceptance, along with any scholarship, every month in their newsletter. They also post the acceptance letters of each student on a wall in one of the hallways. IIRC, the college they are going to is printed next to their name in the Commencement program. I do not recall anyone asking for anyone’s permission.
The private high school I went to posts all the graduates pictures with the school they are attending in the alum magazine I receive.
Our school used to post the amounts of scholarships per kid but thankfully they do not do that anymore. I mean do I want to tell the whole community how much money I make? If a kid gets in to a need only school then the amount of scholarship reflects exactly how much money that family makes. Besides, people would look at those numbers and get wrong ideas totally confusing need and merit. I understand the point was to encourage the kids to apply and make the hs proud but I thought it was very, very wrong.
In my public high school, each year in a display case in the main lobby, senior’s pictures with their college acceptances are posted. Everyone who is attending college or entering the military gets posted. I have never known anyone to have an issue with it. It is really cool to see where everyone is accepted and is something you look forward to as a senior.
Our local HS posts a list of all the different colleges the students from a graduating class will be attending, but no names or other information. I love seeing the wide variety and geographical breadth and think it reflects well on the students, the school, and the GC’s. I also like that it doesn’t focus on the individual but rather the group achievement.
Sure it’s advertising in a sense. Not just when private schools do it, either. Nothing wring with that per se. High schools have to attract students just as colleges do.
My kids’ high school puts colleges in the paper bogey name the students, listed by college. I assume students have to fill something out or can opt out because some students were not listed. For graduation they list scholarships in the program but not amounts.
Edit: I’m fine with the way it’s done at my kids’ school.
I think the publication is fine as long as it is consented to. Publishing the dollar amount of scholarships seems a little tacky in my opinion especially if it is need based.
Sign me up among those who think its fine to publish such a list in the student newspaper–NOT on the commencement program!–as long as a) the student gives permission, and b) scholarships, whether need or merit based, are NOT mentioned. I don’t see any reason to list acceptances. That’s just boasting.
Our private high school presents a slide show at graduation and each graduate must submit a few childhood pictures. So for each student they have at least one picture of them when they were younger and then their senior picture, next to which they list the name of the college the graduate will be attending.
They also publish a generic list of the college admissions on their website and in the school and is part of their marketing materials. They have the list of all acceptances (not necessarily where students will be attending) and then the list of matriculations. Neither of these lists have names attached.