The honors degree obtained after finishing high school is something that very few people achieve, since it is difficult to meet the requirements, but, if you do, it is possible to benefit from a large number of advantages.
What is an honors degree?
A high school honors award is an award for excellence given each year to the student with the best academic record in the second year of high school for having had excellent grades throughout the program and provided that a series of established requirements are met.
Requirements to obtain honors in high school
Although some requirements may vary depending on the center where the studies were completed, to obtain the honors distinction it is necessary to meet the following conditions:
- The awardee's qualifications must have a average of 9 or more in all subjects which are taken in the 2nd year of high school. The grades from the first course may influence in the event of a tie, but they are not decisive.
- It is also necessary to have a outstanding academic record, since different extracurricular activities or research projects will be taken into account.
Meeting these two objectives is essential, and without them, no honors distinction will be awarded. In the event of a tie, the school will decide the tie-breaking criteria , which must be made public before the final grades for the course are published. Additionally, schools may sometimes award an extra prize to the student with the best academic record among all those selected.
The most common criterion for granting enrollment is based on the highest possible grade in a given subject. For example, in Spain, it's determined by the number of 10s , as that's the maximum grade. However, in Colombia, for instance, it would be based on the number of 5s among the final grades for each subject. Grades from the first year , participation in school activities, and other assessments of subject competencies and skills, besides exams, are also taken into account.
What are the differences between Outstanding and Honors?
An outstanding is awarded to the grade that exceeds 9 points out of 10, with Honors being the grade of the student who has obtained the highest score among all the outstanding ones.
What does it mean to get honors?
The effort to get an honors degree in high school is rewarded. After the sacrifice necessary to achieve the different qualifications, you will be able to enjoy benefits for having achieved honors. Some of the most notable advantages are:
- First year of university tuition free. In addition to the recognition that comes with having honors, which is no small thing, the most popular advantage is the exemption from paying for the first year of university. An amount that, according to the autonomous community, can be very high, even more so in the careers that the college credits more expensive.
- The award-winning students, in addition to not having to pay for this first year, They will be able to apply for the MEFP scholarship (formerly also known as MEC scholarships like any other. This bonus and scholarships are not mutually exclusive.
- More possibilities of obtaining scholarships. For most scholarships, having an honors degree adds extra points, making it easier to get them. Both scholarships from public and private entities are included. In any type of scholarship, honors are valued because it demonstrates commitment and perseverance on the part of the student.
- Free selectivity testThe first benefit you will notice if you have an honours degree will be being able to take the university entrance exam for free. Depending on where you take the exam, you will be saving up to 100 euros.
- In addition to this, you can also opt for Academic Excellence Scholarships and you will also be able to participate in the National Excellence Awards, in which you will be eligible to win a significant financial amount.
- This distinction can also be your presentation letter to any place you want to study, be it a university or a professional education center. It will be easier for any center to admit a person with this type of distinction.
Is there a quota of students who can obtain honors registration for each center?
Yes, there is a maximum quota. This limit is set at 5% of the students enrolled in the second year of high school at that educational center.
Let's say that in our center there are a total of 100 students in the 2nd year of high school, counting all the branches of study available there. Of these 100, the maximum number of students who will be able to obtain registration will be 5. If there are 200 students, 10.
Are there honors at the university?
Once you have completed high school, it is also possible to obtain honors in each of your subjects at university.
If you get one or more, the following year you will not have to pay for the same number of credits that you managed to pass with honors.
If, for example, you have obtained honors in a 6-credit subject, the following year you will be able to save 6 credits. And, furthermore, it is cumulative. If there were three 6-credit subjects, the following year you would save 18 credits.
To find out how much you would save, it's helpful to know what a university degree is and how it's structured, since all university studies are structured in a similar way.
To study for a university degree in Spain, you need to know how to validate your high school diploma to study in Spain.
As we have already mentioned, high school honors registration is a merit that is awarded to students with the best academic record who meet certain requirements. These conditions are mainly that you have an average of 9 or more in the subjects of the second year of high school and have a notable academic record. With honors registration you obtain advantages such as your first free registration at the university or the selectivity exam without having to pay. However, it is not easy to get it, since only 5% of students can have it. At the university it is also possible to obtain honors registration, which will mean that the following year you will not have to pay the same number of credits that have been approved with registration.
