The 8,000-plus members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Class of 2013 brought in more than 2,600 scholarships worth almost $94 million, the district reports.
The scholarship report always makes me twitch a bit. Years ago, I treated these tallies like hard data, trying to figure out why some schools were so much more effective than others in getting their graduates college money and why numbers fluctuated so wildly from year to year.
What I learned was that these totals rely on self-reporting by seniors and guidance counselors, both of whom have a lot of distractions at the end of the year. So now I don't put a lot of energy into the specifics.
But the big point is worth recognizing: A whole lot of students leave CMS with a great education and bright prospects.
And let's face it, lists are fun. So in the spirit of celebration, let's take a look at the report and tip our hats to ...
Providence High topped the tally, with 361 scholarships worth just over $16 million. Next were Myers Park (302, $13.7 million) and Ardrey Kell (245, $9 million). Those were also the top three schools based on academic scholarships only.
Vance topped the list for athletic scholarships, with almost $4 million, followed by Mallard Creek ($2.6 million) and West Charlotte ($2 million).
Ardrey Kell logged $840,000 in military scholarships, followed by Providence ($677,606) and Independence ($188,500).
South Meck topped the fine arts list with $537,290, followed by Providence ($253,100) and Northwest School of the Arts ($184,500). It's probably worth noting that the arts magnet is much smaller than the two traditional high schools.
And for band scholarships, South Meck was way above all other schools with $279,300.
All in all, that comes to a lot of students and parents with good cause to celebrate.
Posts
