''Who's Who Among American High School Students'' was a
web site
A website (also written as a web site) is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Examples of notable websites are Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Wikip ...
and
publication
To publish is to make content available to the general public.[Berne Conve ...](_blank)
(owned and managed by Educational Communications Inc.) that listed what it claimed were
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
students "who have excelled in academics, extracurricular activities and community service." The website shut down in November 2007 due to the bankruptcy of its parent firm.
About
''Who's Who Among American High School Students'' compiled and published an annual edition in which students' names and achievements are listed. According to the website, people who accept nomination for inclusion in the book are sometimes qualified for various
scholarship
A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need.
Scholars ...
opportunities. While there were no required fees to be considered, there was the optional purchase of the listing publication.
''Who's Who Among American High School Students'' was one of three publications produced by Educational Communications, Inc. (ECI). ECI was part of American Achievement Corporation (AAC), located in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
. AAC is one of 7 companies owned by
Fenway Partners, based in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. ECI ceased operations on November 1, 2007.
Criticism
There was much debate over the value of the book. Although it does not cost any money to be listed, it is often categorized as a
scam
A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibility, and greed. Researchers hav ...
since it is an attempt by a
private company
A privately held company (or simply a private company) is a company whose shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in the respective listed markets, but rather the company's stock is ...
to make money through proud parents and students who purchase the book and various
memorabilia
A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a m ...
(such as a "commemorative keychain") associated with the publication in attempt at recognition. There have been concerns about how students are nominated as well as whether the listing's entries are fact-checked and accurate.
Yvonne Zanos: What's what with Who's Who
', December 5, 2005, retrieved 2/12/07
'', WCCO TV, January 3, 2006
The focus of another criticism was the fact of some students being excluded, apparently based on highly random or subjective factors, while others were included. In contrast to such things as academic, athletic, artistic or citizenship awards, which are based at least partly on demonstrable merit, these vanity publications seemed highly influenced by biased recommendations from teachers or even imaginary achievements stated by students (for example, claiming to star in school plays that never existed). Another issue raised, particularly as regards private schools, is that publications of this kind serve to challenge the standards of (for example) a Roman Catholic institution which sets its own norms for students' success in areas beyond academics and activities.
While proud parents were asked to purchase books and pay additional fees to have photos included in the book, "Who's Who" did provide scholarships to a limited number of students yearly. Photos were included of each scholarship winner at no cost to the parents and a copy of the book was provided for free to the family of each scholarship recipient.
Students consented to being listed in ''Who's Who'' in the hope that the listing would be seen by college admissions offices as a significant recognition of a student's academic and extracurricular involvement. However, most admissions officers believe that the recognition has no such value and in fact some consider the "honor" to be a joke.
According to the admissions vice president of
Hamline University
Hamline University is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1854, Hamline is known for its emphasis on experiential learning, service, and social justice. The university is named after Bishop Leonidas Lent Hamline ...
, "It's honestly something that an admissions officer typically wouldn't consider or wouldn't play into an admissions decision," adding that ''Who's Who...'' is just trying to sell books.
See also
*
Who's Who scam
References
External links
10-K Filed Form for American Achievement Corporation (AAC)
{{authority control
High school honor societies
United States biographical dictionaries
2007 disestablishments in the United States