Sample Formal Graduation Announcement

Wording your graduation announcement can seem like a minor challenge, but its also a task that can take up a lot of your (very precious) time. Going with formal, traditional language is one way to ensure your announcement accurately represents the importance and value of all of your hard work. Before writing your formal graduation announcement, its important to review some basic rules of etiquette for any kind of graduation announcement, formal or otherwise. Rules for Graduation Announcements The first thing to decide before  writing your announcement  is whom to invite, or whether you intend to invite anyone.  Unlike high school graduation, not everyone is going to attend the commencement ceremony or expect a party.  It is not uncommon for college graduates to omit the date and location of the graduation  from the announcement.   This may seem odd, but in this case, the announcement is just that: an announcement of your achievement. If you do intend to invite guests to the graduation ceremony, youll need to include a few vital pieces of information: The salutation or greetingYour nameThe college or universityThe degree youve earnedThe commencement ceremony (or party) date and timeThe location of the ceremony or party In a formal graduation announcement, the salutation takes on a very specific, formal tone, usually mentioning the president of the college or university, the faculty, and the graduating class as the parties that are actually inviting guests to attend. These three parties are, in essence, hosting the event and extending a formal invitation to your guests on your behalf. Sample Graduation Announcement Once youve gathered the necessary information—always ensure that you know how the spell the college presidents name, for example—including the location, time, and date, you are ready to write your formal graduation announcement. The information below represents a sample formal announcement. You can replace the information in parentheses with the details that are specific to you. Additionally, center the text in your announcement. The President, Faculty, and Graduating Classof(XX College or University)Proudly Announce the Graduation of(Your full name, including your middle name)on(The day, the date—spelled out—and the month)(The Year, spelled out)with a(Your degree) in(The subject in which you are obtaining your degree)(The location)(The city and state)(The time) Note that in a formal graduation announcement, you would never say something like, I would like to invite.  Since you are a member of the graduating class, you are of course included in the groups that are hosting the event, but you should not single yourself out in extending the invitation. The Final Product It can be helpful to see what a formal graduation announcement would look like. Feel free to use the format and wording below. Simply replace the name of the college, graduate, degree, and other details with the correct information. The President, Faculty, and Graduating Class                                                  of                                    Hope College            Proudly Announce the Graduation of                        Oscar James Meyerson                 Sunday, the Nineteenth of May                    Two Thousand Eighteen                                          with a                  Bachelor of Arts Degree in                        Sports Management                  Holland Municipal Stadium                        Holland, Michigan                             2:00 oclock p.m. Centering the text and spelling out information that is usually abbreviated—such as the type of degree, date, and time—give the announcement an elegant, formal appeal. Use this format and youll be sure to impress your guests not just with your achievement, but also with the way you are inviting them to celebrate it with you.