- HEADMASTER'S LIST
Students who maintain a high GPA are awarded quarterly by being named to the Geneva Headmaster’s List.- Summa Cum Laude Headmaster’s List: 3.9 GPA and above
Magna Cum Laude Headmaster’s List: 3.75-3.89 GPA
Additionally, the student with the highest overall GPA (see parameters below) for his or her Rhetoric School career will be awarded the honor of being named the class valedictorian upon graduation.
VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN
The awards of valedictorian and salutatorian are awarded to the students earning the top two GPAs for each graduating class. The valediction is awarded to the highest overall GPA of a graduating senior as determined at the conclusion of the first semester in the senior year. The title of salutatorian is awarded to the second highest overall GPA as determined at the conclusion of the first semester in the senior year. In the event of a tie, the student with the largest body of coursework (that is, the more aggressive transcript) earns the higher ranking. In other words, students are rewarded for taking more coursework and thus, potential valedictorians should concentrate on increasing their studies, not working percentages. Beginning with the class of 2027, students must have attended Geneva from at least the beginning of their ninth-grade year through senior year to be considered for valedictorian or salutatorian.The state of Texas awards Highest Ranking Graduate to the student with the highest academic standing at the completion of all eight semesters of high school. Students with this designation qualify for a freshman year, full-tuition scholarship that can be used at any Texas public institution of higher learning. In most cases, the named valedictorian will receive this designation, but it is contingent on the GPA calculation at the conclusion of eight full semesters.
- FACULTY COMMENDATIONS
At the conclusion of each quarter, the RS faculty are asked to nominate students for Faculty Commendation. This recognition is given to a maximum of 20% of the grade and is deliberated during a grade-specific meeting with teachers of required academic courses (i.e. Humanities, Science, Bible, Math, Language, and Rhetoric). Exceptions to the 20% rule may be granted on occasion. Students earn eligibility for this recognition by demonstrating the following traits:- Performing at or above his or her academic potential
- Displaying exemplary behavior
- Possessing genuine curiosity and a positive attitude towards school
- G.K. CHESTERTON AWARD
The G.K. Chesterton Award is given each year to the Outstanding Senior Thesis Presenter. These students are eligible for consideration for the award based on their research, written work, and presentation. This does not necessarily mean that students under consideration have the top grades in the Senior Thesis class. Rather, they are nominated for this honor if they show an outstanding depth of analysis combined with the ability to present their thoughts in a winsome and persuasive manner. The ultimate award winner is determined by separate judges based solely upon the final presentation and defense. - AQUILA AWARD
At the conclusion of each school year, the faculty and staff vote for the senior male and senior female students they believe best strive towards the standard set by the school’s Portrait of a Graduate. . The criteria includes not only academic excellence, but also extracurricular involvement, behavioral integrity, and leadership amongst their peers. In Rhetoric School, these honorees receive the Aquila (Aquila is Latin for “eagle”) Award, the school’s highest honor. The names of these outstanding young men and women are recorded on a perpetual plaque in the Rhetoric Office. - GENEVA GUILD
Students who have successfully completed every semester at Geneva from kindergarten through the twelfth grade are named as members of the Geneva Guild. Guild members are honored at graduation with a white honor cord.