The End of Titles: Cum Laude

BY SONYA MARTIN ‘24

The Cum Laude society is a system designed to honor students for their academic achievements. The term ‘cum laude’ is derived from Latin, meaning “with praise” or “with honor.” Typically, educational institutions use the phrase to signify a degree awarded to students with demonstrated academic excellence. The criteria for receiving the distinction usually consists of a minimum GPA and other miscellaneous factors like rigor of courses, standardized test scores, etc. Up until 2022, Milton has had a Cum Laude society. In Cox library, one can observe the large wooden plaques hung on the walls with the words Cum Laude Society inscribed in gold ink. Generations of Cum Laude graduates are listed with rows and rows of names encompassing the entire wall. However, this year, Milton made the decision to abolish the Cum Laude Society, bringing an end to an almost century-long tradition.

During an interview, Mr. Ball elaborated on exactly how Cum Laude had previously operated at Milton and the reasons behind the faculty’s decision to remove it. Milton’s Cum Laude society was regulated under a chapter of a national Cum Laude organization that gave schools some discretion in the ways members were inducted. Last year, 34 seniors were inducted, with no juniors. In the years prior, a few juniors would too be honorarily inducted. The ultimate downside, he explained, was the inflexibility that Milton was given, such as the number of students who were allowed to be admitted, the ways in which they were admitted, etc. He said, “fundamentally, what [the school] decided this year, is that [Milton] remains committed to honoring students who have distinctive academic records, and we believe that we would be better served without particular limits on how we made those determinations.” When prodded on how Milton used to decide who was admitted to the Cum Laude society, Mr. Ball answered ambiguously. He denied the calculation of a formal GPA, claiming, rather, that the school simply relied on “objective metrics of criteria'' that the departments came up with.

Evidently, Milton, as a school that has already diverged from a number of high school norms, has a number of unusual academic policies. As one may recall, Milton Academy does not calculate GPA or class rank. Nor does the school offer AP courses. Nor does the school show freshman grades on transcripts. Getting rid of the Cum Laude society follows a pattern of decisions that differentiates Milton from a typical high school. From asking a number of seniors, the general consensus seems to be that although the graduating class doesn’t seem too bothered, those who are particularly high achievers wished they still had the opportunity to receive the title. One explained that “Milton’s school awards just don’t carry the same amount of prestige or name recognition as being in the Cum Laude society.” Overall, most students acknowledge that being part of Cum Laude society is simply a title—one that feels encouraging to have, but not one that profoundly impacts anything.

This year, students who possess those academic records will be recognized at the Prize Assembly. Some prizes include the Head of School award, The Science Prize, The Wales Prize, etc. Regardless of whether or not Milton has a Cum Laude society, the school still continues its tradition of honoring students for their exceptional academic achievements.