Summa cum laude, which means "with highest honor," is the highest academic award designated for students in the top 1-5% of a class or those with a GPA of 3.9-4.0.
Summa cum laude is an honorary title used by educational institutions to signify a degree that was earned "with the highest distinction." Summa cum laude indicates the greatest distinction of three commonly used types of academic honors recognized in the United States, expressed in Latin.
Graduating with Distinction is the practice of recognizing and rewarding students who graduate. with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or greater.
With Highest Distinction: 4.00 GPA or above. With High Distinction: 3.91-3.99 GPA.
These policies may vary also according to the degree year (higher percentages for later years), but generally, only 2–5% of students who pass (that is, who achieve raw marks of 50 or more) may be awarded a High Distinction grade, and 50% or more of passing students are awarded a basic Pass grade.
A High Distinction is a 7.0 GPA or a 4.0 GPA; a Distinction is a 6–6.99 GPA out of a seven-point grade point average, or a 3.5–4.9 GPA for a Distinction out of a four-grade point average.
Like summiting a mountain, the student who has achieved summa cum laude has achieved "the highest distinction." This student has earned grades within the highest percentage of their school or department or has achieved some other metric that the school considers worthy of the highest recognition.
In Australia, a GPA of 5.5 is regarded as excellent and above the average level. It falls within the upper and higher range when compared to lower GPAs. 6.
High Distinction
High distinctions are elusive, with some subjects allowing just 3 per cent of students winning one. They are like a HSC Band 6 on steroids. If you get one, cherish it. It could be your last.
The ability to graduate with a distinction can vary depending on the type of degree you've undertaken and your weighted average mark (WAM). Unfortunately, a high distinction only applies at the unit level, not course level, so achieving a WAM of over 80 doesn't mean you will graduate with a high distinction.
Definition. A distinction is a grade that is awarded when a student gets high marks and is equivalent to A or A+, while merit is a grade awarded to a student who has exceeded the minimum requirements.
The descriptors for these grades will appear on the front cover of student reports: A = Evidence of learning demonstrates outstanding achievement at this year level. B = Evidence of learning demonstrates high achievement at this year level. C = Evidence of learning demonstrates sound achievement at this year level.
Distinction means you have scored 75 or above percentage % where as first class means 65–74.99 %.
HD. High Distinction: An outstanding performance; mark range 85-100. Indicates that the student has produced outstanding work, and has demonstrated a high level of understanding across the entire content of the course.
Conclusion: Valedictorian, Salutatorian, and Class Rank
Your class rank is determined based on your GPA. Your school may calculate class rank using either your unweighted or your weighted GPA.
Graduates who achieve a course weighted average equal to or greater than 80.00 will be considered to have achieved outstanding performance in their course and will be granted an award with distinction upon completion of their degree.
However, about 5%- 25% of each class are roughly expected to get the top grade – a distinction.
D – Distinction
This grade is typically allotted to students who receive between 75% and 84%. It means that you have fulfilled the learning requirements and have conveyed a high-level understanding of the course materials.
Here is a general breakdown of what you require for achieving a certain master's grade and how that equates to a bachelor's classification for comparison: A Distinction is equal to a first and requires you to achieve 70%+ in your degree. A Merit is equal to a 2:1 and requires you to achieve 60-69% in your degree.
Indeed, the differential between universities in terms of marking scale can be as much as 20%, with some requiring an 85% plus for the award of Distinction, an approximate equivalent of the Latin honor summa-cum-laude, while yet others would award Distinction at above of 70%.
Outplacement Australia director Gillian Kelly says a student's GPA is more relevant in some industries than others. “Some (employers) don't look at anyone with below a 5 or 5.5 (out of 7),” she says.
While 7 represents the highest GPA in Australia, 0 represents the lowest. The word GPA alludes to the average result of all your grades, and it works on the basis of a seven-point academic grading scale.