University High School has several internal and external awards.
A. The Schmidt Award
Jeff Lewis, a founding trustee of the school, and his wife Paula initiated the Schmidt Award to honor a University High School junior who demonstrates extraordinary service. This community service award was founded to honor Mrs. Lewis’s father, who was a lifelong high school educator with a particular dedication to community service. The Schmidt Award winner receives a plaque and a check for $250. The faculty chooses the recipient at the end of the academic year, and the winner is announced on prize day.
B. Senior Awards
The school has three types of awards to recognize exemplary academic performance and behavior by members of the senior class.
1. Six Departmental Awards will be given to the top senior student in English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, World Languages, and Fine & Performing Arts. The teachers in the respective departments choose the awardees (one for each department). Each teacher who teaches at least one section within the department takes part in the selection. Each award recipient is a senior student with high grades in that department, though not necessarily the highest. Teachers take additional factors into account, such as performance in departmental classes or special projects/work done. If the teachers of the department cannot come to consensus about a student, they consult with the assistant head of school.
2. Three different Career Academic Awards are awarded upon graduation: summa cum laude (given to graduating seniors who earned high honor roll status all eight semesters of high school), magna cum laude (given to graduating seniors who earned either high honor roll or honor roll status for all eight semesters of high school), and cum laude (given to graduating seniors who earned either high honor roll or honor roll status for six or seven semesters of high school). For consideration at any level, students must have passed all classes, including January Term classes. These awards will be determined at the end of the student’s eighth semester. There is no maximum or minimum number of students who are honored with these awards each year. Transfer students’ grades are taken at face value for career awards.
3. The University High School Core Values Award will be given to the four seniors who best exemplify the school’s core values. The awards will be selected by the faculty as a whole.
The Departmental Awards and University Core Values Awards are given to students on prize day, and a plaque is given to each recipient. The Career Academic Awards are announced at the commencement ceremony.
In addition, we have a Cum Laude Society and the Science National Honor Society.
