Recognition Certificates

How do college go about giving out awards or certificates for high GPA's? Is it done by the semester?

Let's say I end up with a 4.0 in all of my classes for the whole semester. Do they give me an award at the end of that semester? or do I have to wait until I graduate?

Public Comments

1. It's not done by semester (making the dean's list is though) and you don't have to wait till you graduate. You'll get tapped for an honor society and recieve awards after you reach a certain number of credits and maintain a high GPA. Usually it's around your 2nd or 3rd year of college. Depends on the Honor Society. Some societies give an honor for overall GPA on ALL classes taken (Phi Kappa Phi). Other societies go by your GPA you've earned on your specific major's classes (and don't count all the other core classes). Good Luck and Good Job getting a great GPA!!!!
2. In most schools, your end of the semester transcript will indicate if you earned a 3.5 GPA or higher by adding the word honors, high honors, dean's list or another term the school uses to officially recognize your achievement every semester you earn it. There are also honor societies that you can join based on earning a high GPA. At the end of your college career, if you have earned honors based on your cumulative (overall) GPA, your transcript will also note that designation. At the graduation ceremony, you will wear an honors cord, which is visual way to recognize your achievement. Many graduation programs will also make a notation by your name. You may also be recognized by your program's department as earning honors in your major. Many schools will send you a congratulations letter from the president of the college or dean of your program when you earn semester honors. Some will submit an article to your local newspaper that lists your achievement. You might not get a real award, like a trophy, but it sure looks good on a resume to state you made the dean's list of 7 out of 8 semesters or graduated with honors. Ask your advisor what your school does to recognize high GPA students. Good luck with your studies.
3. Each school is different. Most have a dean's list or president's list where students who make above a particular GPA for the semester get listed. That also goes on your transcript. They don't give out certificates or awards for this. Some schools have honor societies where they recruit students with high GPAs. Then, of course, there are the honors that come along with graduating with high cumulative GPAs - cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude, etc.