This honor is traditionally based on grade point average (GPA) and number of credits taken, but consideration may also be given to other factors such as co-curricular and extracurricular activities.
In a high school setting, a salutatorian may also be asked to speak about the current graduating class or to deliver an invocation or benediction.
The general themes of a salutation and valediction are usually of growth, outlook towards the future, and thankfulness.
[1][2][3] At the universities of Princeton and Harvard, a Latin orator, usually a classics major, is chosen for his or her ability to write and deliver a speech to the audience in that language.
These traditions date from the earliest years of the universities, when all graduates were expected to have attained proficiency in the "Learned Languages," i.e., Latin and Greek.