Making The Dean's List: Do You Announce In Local Newspaper?

[Saphire]

If your son or daughter makes the Dean's List in college, do you put an announcement in the paper? My two sons never wanted me to do it so I didn't, but my daughter doesn't mind at all. Since you include the school and the major, I find it enjoyable to read about all the local kids you knew in the past, and see how they are doing.
What about you? How do you and your son/daughter feel about it?

 

[Free4Life11]

Personally, I would not announce it. Now once they graduate, go ahead an announce it...but for the deans list? That's a little too "braggish" for my liking.

 

[zurgswife]

If your paper is know for listing such things in a section then no it probably isn't weird. I would think most towns are big enough that this is not typcial. Our town has a small newsletter that such things are printed in but it is in no way a "paper". If it is the norm then do it if you would be announcing it by your lonesome than that would be wierd.

 

[lulugirl]

Frankly, I find it obnoxious.

 

[Tiffer]

Personally, I would not announce it. Now once they graduate, go ahead an announce it...but for the deans list? That's a little too "braggish" for my liking.

My thoughts as well.

 

[Swimnoid]

I never thought about it but the surrounding colleges send it in anyway. I never see it but there is always somebody coming up and telling me they saw DDs name in for it.

 

[corndog]

The college notifies the paper directly. You don't have to do it.

And it's an extremely common practice.

 

[monkey68]

I had no idea that people announced their kids getting dean's list. It just doesn't seem like that big a deal. What do you need for dean's list, is it a 3.3 average for a semester? Or 3.5? I don't remember what it was when I was in college, but it was a one semester deal, doesn't seem like that big a deal.

 

[Feralpeg]

My daughter has made the Dean's List or the President's List (higher than the Dean's List) every semester since she started college. She's in her second semester of her junior year. I never even thought about announcing it any place (I guess I'm doing that now, here). Is this the norm?

 

[Feralpeg]

I had no idea that people announced their kids getting dean's list. It just doesn't seem like that big a deal. What do you need for dean's list, is it a 3.3 average for a semester? Or 3.5? I don't remember what it was when I was in college, but it was a one semester deal, doesn't seem like that big a deal.

At my daughter's college, you must carry a 3.8 or above to be on the Dean's List. If you have a 4.0 for a semester, you make the President's List.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would say if it is an out-of-area Class 1 school (Harvard, MIT, Cal Tech, Yale, Princeton, etc) go ahead. But if it a State University (especially home state) not.

 

[jlmarr]

Maybe just get one of those bumper stickers?

 

[bluesaturn]

I would say if it is an out-of-area Class 1 school (Harvard, MIT, Cal Tech, Yale, Princeton, etc) go ahead. But if it a State University (especially home state) not.

So those of us at state schools are not cool enough for the paper?

 

[barkley]

some of the colleges and universities around here do a press release on this but it's up to the local paper if they want to run it in whole or part. given that over 2100 students just from the small college near us made it last quarter i can understand why the truly local paper (small university town, only comes out once a week) did'nt run much if anything while the biggest local to us paper just quoted the number and only named those whose hometowns are in our state.

i've seen announcements of dean's list in my home town paper's 'milestones' type columns-but that was usualy only done when a local kid had graduated out of area (people might have submitted when it was just for a particular semester but i don't recall it).

btw-i have to laugh (not to insult anyone this has just brought back a forgotten memory )-years ago i worked as clerical support for a retailer who had as a part of my daily duties to read the 'milestones' and 'announcements' columns of the daily local newspapers. he had researched it out with the local paper and knew exactly what was posted via press releases vs. an individual/private submission-if something was posted that fell under the individual/private submission category (like announcing a job promotion or being on the dean's list at an out of area school) i had to do a local phone directory search (and then use the cross directory which he purchased to find addresses via the phone number if it was'nt listed) of the person (or if it was a student their parents cuz the paper always identified students as "daughter/son of mr/mrs xyz of...) to put on what he termed his 'vanity list'. the vanity list was used as a marketing tool for products my employer perceived sold more easily to people (and parents) who felt the need to publicly announce achievements (and he was right to an extent-sold a much higher number of video cams to that mailing list just by virtue of adding in handwriting on their mailers 'read about z making the dean's list, we're so proud of her' ).

 

[golfgal]

The college notifies the paper directly. You don't have to do it.

And it's an extremely common practice.

Same thing around here, the colleges send out press releases to the hometown papers for dean's lists, any sports/activities you might be involved with, etc. It is pretty much advertising for the university/college and very common.

 

[barkley]

Same thing around here, the colleges send out press releases to the hometown papers for dean's lists, any sports/activities you might be involved with, etc. It is pretty much advertising for the university/college and very common.

so do they send them to the hometown papers for the individual students? YIKES that would seem like a logistical nightmare (with 2100 names from all over the country/many outside the u.s. last quarter at our local university, researching what paper is local to each student and then mailing out and individualized press release for each would seem a horrendous waste of administrative resources).

as an aside-just remembered that when dh filled out his paperwork for the university last month there was a ton of stuff on the privacy policies-and if you permitted your name to be released to the media or posted on the website for deans list you granted permission for the university to publish the same info along with you current address and phone number in a variety of "directories" available to the general public (we're on enuf mailing lists, don't need anymore junk mail-and don't nesc. want every yahoo who asks for a copy of a student directory to know our address/phone )

 

[DawnCt1]

I had no idea that people announced their kids getting dean's list. It just doesn't seem like that big a deal. What do you need for dean's list, is it a 3.3 average for a semester? Or 3.5? I don't remember what it was when I was in college, but it was a one semester deal, doesn't seem like that big a deal.

In many colleges and universities, its the top ten percent in that particular major, so not just meeting a specific GPA. If parents want to announce it in their local paper, I don't see the problem with it. We never have but I don't see it as 'obnoxious', as a previous poster said.

 

[DawnCt1]

I would say if it is an out-of-area Class 1 school (Harvard, MIT, Cal Tech, Yale, Princeton, etc) go ahead. But if it a State University (especially home state) not.

Why? Hard work is hard work, and good work is good work, no matter where it is done.

 

[MushyMushy]

Our nearby schools release the information to hometown newspapers. I know that parents can do it as well because they have a whole college/job section where things like that are announced, and even job promotions.

I have to say that I was an adult when I graduated from college, and graduated magna cum laude. A big deal to me, but only to me. My uncle (whom I hate) asked me if I wanted him to put a write up in the paper, and I told him in no uncertain terms that he was to NOT do that. Well, he did it, and I was furious. <--- yes I would have burst into flames if it had been possible.

So, to me it's really up to the student. If the student is proud of the accomplishment and wants the world to know -- then do it! They deserve it. But if they'd rather you didn't, then I would respect those wishes too.

 

[Teacher03]

My kids' schools always asked the name of two or three local papers, and they would put the dean's list in after every semester. I don't think it's bragging at all, but I don't know if the college didn't do if I would place an announcement in the paper.

Congratulations to your daughter, you should be very proud!