Membership in the Cum Laude Society is the highest academic honor Darlington can bestow upon a group of students. Election is highly selective; to be eligible for consideration, a student must have a 93 average for all four years and have taken at least 10 Honors and AP courses (5 of which must be AP courses) over four years. Students must also have demonstrated good character, honor and integrity in all parts of their school life. Not all of the students who meet this criteria will necessarily be elected, as membership is limited by The Cum Laude Society’s national rules to a maximum of 20% of each senior class.
Senior Bo Brooks shares what it means to him to be inducted into the Cum Laude Society.
“It means a lot to be inducted into the Cum Laude Society. I’m glad I’m getting recognized for all the hard work that has gone into my academics over the past few years,” Brooks said. “It’s not only about my grades, but also all of my dedication or hard work, and my commitment to always doing my best at school, no matter how much I feel like quitting or not trying my best. This honor reminds me that all that effort really counted and it was not for nothing.”
The Cum Laude Society is an international organization that honors academic achievements in secondary school. It was founded in 1906, with membership being very selective and competitive, including only a small percentage of students from each school. Induction into the society is seen as a hallmark of academic excellence, discipline and strong moral character. The society is associated with public and independent schools in the United States, Canada, England, France, Spain, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. With over 380 chapters worldwide, the Cum Laude Society represents one of the highest honors a high school student can achieve academically and it greatly helps on a student’s resume.
Senior Timmy King shares what went into achieving this great feat of academic excellence and earning a place in the Cum Laude Society.
“I always tried to do my homework and make sure I was prepared for class, and I made sure I paid attention to my teachers and what they were teaching,” King said. “Also, it was kind of hard to stay focused and make sure I was always focused, but I had to try my best. I’m glad my dedication paid off, because now I have this opportunity to be inducted. I’m glad that all that work and struggle ended up helping me.”