The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Cup launched in 1927 to recognize local students who work hard to attain a well-rounded education. Each high school in the metro area is invited to nominate a student for this honor. Students are selected based on their achievements, character, leadership and/or community involvement.
AJC Cup recipients and their families are recognized at an event hosted by the AJC. The honorees receive a cup trophy printed with their name and school and are recognized in the print edition of the newspaper and online.
2018 AJC Cup FAQ’s
Q: How are students selected?
A: A high school senior is selected by school administrators based on their achievements, character, leadership and/or community involvement. The AJC is not involved in the selection but is provided the student’s information by a member of the school administration – principal, guidance counselor, etc.
Q: How are schools selected?
A: Nearly 200 public and private schools in metro Atlanta were contacted by the AJC and offered the opportunity to submit an honoree.
Q: What schools are eligible to participate?
A: High schools must have a minimum of 75 students in their graduating class and be in one of the following counties: Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Jasper, Lamar, Newton, Paulding, Pike, Rockdale, Spalding and Walton.
Q: How is the student honoree information submitted?
A: The AJC Cup submission form is online only. Students are selected only by a school official or administrator. At this time, submissions are not open to the public.
Q: What is the deadline for submission?
A: The deadline for 2018 AJC Cup submission is Monday, April 30. Submissions cannot be accepted after April 30, due to publication and trophy production deadlines.
Q: How is a student’s information used by the AJC?
A: The AJC recognizes these students by publishing the list of AJC Cup recipients both online and in print in June. The newspaper dedicates special pages on AJC.com to highlight each student, their goals and future plans, along with a photo. Students and their families are also contacted and invited to attend a special evening hosted by the AJC at a designated entertainment facility. The AJC makes every effort to protect each student’s information and does not collect or publish personal contact information or share information with any third party.
Q: How do I know if the submission was received?
A: The school official who submitted the submission will receive an automatic confirmation message immediately after submission. For any other inquiries, send an email to ajccup@coxinc.com.
Q: Why does my school not have a winner?
A: We make every effort to contact all eligible schools in metro Atlanta. Each year we contact nearly 200 public and private schools by email and mail. In some cases, there are schools that meet the requirements but do not respond to our requests with an honoree.
Q: When will my school receive the trophy?
A: Trophies are sent directly from Suburban Custom Awards. Suburban makes every effort to ensure that submissions received by April 30 will ship to arrive in ample time of the school’s graduation/senior event.
Q: How does the student receive their trophy?
A: Each school is responsible for presenting the AJC Cup to its selected student. The presentation process is at the discretion of each school.
Q: How are students recognized by the AJC?
A: Each year the AJC publishes the names of the AJC Cup winners soon after traditional high school graduations, typically in early June. The print publication date may vary. Through our website AJC.com, students may be recognized online as early as May 15.
Q: Who can I contact with any additional questions?
A: You can send inquiries to ajccup@coxinc.com.
About the Author
