When awards are announced on Honors Day, upperclassmen anticipate awaiting their moment in an unpredictable future. For many Third and Fourth Formers, who sit and wait, a question arises: should Haverford give more academic awards to underclassmen?
As the college admissions process continues to become more daunting, some argue that earlier recognition would both benefit the students and set them up better for college admissions success.
One of the simplest but most challenging sections for students on the Common Application is the Awards Section. It provides space for students to list up to five awards won as an upper schooler. Students often look at this for the first time in the summer before Fifth Form and ask themselves: how do I fill any of this in?
The last time I received an award, I was a Second Former at the graduation ceremony. Looking around at fifteen of my friends sitting with me in the dining hall, I recently realized that none of them had been formally recognized in any way, even though many of them are incredibly talented and accomplished students.
The end-of-the-year awards list recognizes 56 different things in total. So, what’s the issue? Of the 56 awards listed on the Honors Day Program, 21 awards are specifically limited to and designated for Fifth and Sixth Form students, compared to six awards for Third and Fourth Formers. While the remainder are not specifically limited to upperclassmen, the vast majority are typically awarded only to upperclassmen. Furthermore, by the time these awards are given out in June, it is often too late to help students show off their achievements in college applications.
Haverford should create more award opportunities for underclassmen. Awards serve many benefits. First, achievement doesn’t begin in the senior year. Students are doing meaningful, academic, athletic, artistic, and leadership work starting in Form III. Second, when students can see their work and their talents recognized early on, they become more committed and are motivated by positive reinforcement. Third, the awards can be tailored to subject-based excellence and character at each grade level. Fourth, giving out awards earlier benefits Haverford as a school, too, as it will strengthen students’ applications and therefore improve college placement data.
What are some of the downsides? In my opinion, there are none. Some might say giving out more awards could be compared to giving out participation trophies, but that is not what I am suggesting.
The school should not lower standards or award things for the sake of awarding them. I am all for meritocracy, but excellence and achievement do not start in Form V or VI. There can be grade-level awards and associated grade-level assemblies for such awards that are clearly merit-based, for example, giving individual class-level subject matter awards each year, culminating in the final school-level awards at the annual Honors Day assembly for seniors. Expanding when awards are given out and offering varying class-level related awards does not reduce the value or rigor of the awards in any way. In sum, giving out awards earlier is a win/win for everyone involved.
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