- The most important thing about writing a graduation announcement is getting the basic information correct. List the name of the graduate, the school he or she is graduating from, and who is sending the announcement. If possible, include future plans. If it is an elementary or junior high school graduation, list the secondary or high school he or she is attending. If it is a high school graduation, list the college he or she will attend. If it is a college graduation and the student has a job lined up, you can list that information as well.
- As long as space permits, include honors and awards the graduate received. List them in order of prestige. Valedictorian would be first, or perhaps a department award. Other awards, such as Dean's List honors, could be last. If the graduate was a student-athlete, list the sport he or she played, and any honors received for participating in athletics.
- Now, you need to know where you are sending the announcement. If you're sending the announcement to family and friends, make sure you have the proper address (email or snail mail). If you're writing for inclusion in a graduation program or a yearbook, make sure you have the correct contact info and deliver it in the required format. If you're sending to a newspaper, check the newspaper's Website; many papers have a submission box regarding graduation or hometown announcements. If not, call the front desk and ask to whom and in what format you should be sending. Find out how many words you have to work with, and the deadline for submission. Following the guidelines will greatly increase your chance of having the announcement appear in the publication.
- Finally, before sending the announcement, go over it line by line, word by word, to ensure accuracy. After checking over the document, many proofreaders even go over the copy from right to left, which sometimes helps with catching spelling errors.
