It’s official! 762 seniors at Barrington High School received their diplomas during this year’s commencement ceremony Friday night and that means it’s time for our yearly look at a few of the highlights and quick facts about this year’s graduating class.
Rihanna’s visit to Barrington High School in March might have been the biggest media moment during the graduating seniors’ school year. She was hours late, which led to a frenzy of local and tabloid news coverage. But Rihanna’s goal of recognizing students for their volunteer hours and contributions to the community plus BHS-TV students’ Shine Bright Like a Diamond winning contest video were the subject of media reports across the country.
There’s no doubt that Rihanna’s visit put Barrington High School in the spotlight during the students’ senior year, but the academic, athletic and artistic achievements of this class are what truly set them apart.
Here’s a quick look at some facts about the class, their accomplishments and where they’re headed after graduation…
Academic Achievements
* 22 class members are National Merit Commended students
* 11 are National Merit Scholarship Finalists
* 192 students are Illinois State Scholars
* 2 students scored a perfect 36 on their ACT
* 3 students were named Golden Apple Scholars
* 2 students received the Daily Herald Leadership Team Award
College Enrollment
* The top 10 post-secondary destinations for students in this graduating class are (in alphabetical order) DePaul University, Harper College, Illinois State University, Indiana University, Iowa State University, Loyola University, University of Illinois (Chicago), University of Illinois (Urbana), University of Iowa and University of Missouri.
* 156 students or 20% of the graduating class are heading to Big Ten Universities this fall.
* BHS Graduating Seniors are enrolled at several Ivy League schools, including Princeton, Yale and University of Pennsylvania.
* Other students will be attending highly selective schools like University of Chicago, Georgetown, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Tulane and Washington University.
* 1 member of the graduating class will attend the United States Air Force Academy, while several others are enlisting in the armed services.
Artistic Achievements
* 23 Barrington High School musicians were named to the District 7 Honor Band, Jazz Band, Choir and Orchestra.
* 2 students were named to All-State Orchestra, 4 to the All-State Choir, 1 to the All-State Honors Jazz Band and 1 to the All-State Honors Band.
* The Senior Boys Barbershop Quartet placed 1st and the Senior Girls Quartet placed 2nd in the District Quartet Finals.
Athletic Achievements
* On the courts, fields and in the pool, this year’s graduating seniors won 71% of their contests.
* Under senior leadership, this year BHS won 5 regional championships and 4 sectional championships.
* The class had 56 state qualifiers, 18 state medal winners and 8 all-state athletes.
There are many more academic, athletic and artistic achievements which will be recognized during tonight’s commencement ceremony. Students begin assembling at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington shortly after 5:30 p.m. and the pre-ceremony fine-arts performances begin in the auditorium at 6 p.m. The traditional procession to Pomp and Circumstance is at 7 p.m.
For a look back at highlights from the graduating classes of 2012 and 2013, check out our graduation day reports from both of those years at these links:
Barrington High School Class of 2012 and the Year of the VIP
Celebrate Barrington High School’s Class of 2011
And congratulations to the graduating class of 2013! We look forward to hearing about your many achievements in the years ahead.
