Graduation Day marks the end of your college years and the start of your new life as a grown, independent and successful candidate about to be immersed into the working world. Your graduation ceremony will be beautiful, long, and packed full of people. 

You think your student body is big? Just wait until you see all of their friends, families and acquaintances packing the auditorium full to capacity. With an auditorium full of professionals from different industries, why not get a head start on finding a job? You're probably thinking "How am I supposed to stand out in a crowd full of 400+ students?" The answer: put your thinking cap on... literally.

Want to know how to make a statement at graduation? Keep reading because we’re going to delve into:

• Why making a statement at graduation is important
• Ideas for you to try and make a statement of your own
• Grads who have gone above and beyond to make a statement at graduation
  

Why Would You Want to Make a Statement at Graduation?

Should you bother to make a statement with your college graduation cap?

So you’re ready to graduate, congratulations! You’ve probably been thinking about this day since you first stepped on campus. And now, after all that hard work over the years, you’re actually getting ready to graduate. While this can bring about a variety of emotions, from relieved, to happy, to scared, to sad, you know that this ceremony is where you get to enjoy the fruits of all your labor in college.

Although in the back of your mind you may be worried about what your next steps are, or if you’ll be able to keep in touch with your besties from school, allow yourself to take a look around and take stock of what you’ve accomplished. No matter if your school is large or small, chances are they’re gearing up for a graduation ceremony. As soon as you pick up your cap and gown, it really settles in—you’re about to graduate! Now, you’re probably thinking that because everyone in your class is going to be wearing the same gowns, how will you ever be able to stand out? Well, thankfully there are plenty of college graduates who pondered that question before you. One of the easiest ways to stand out from the crowd is to decorate your graduation cap. 

Although graduation ceremonies will vary from school to school, they typically all follow a basic pattern of having the graduating class on the field of a stadium or seated in a large auditorium, while friends, family, and other close relations are watching from the stands. Due to their distance from the students (and the fact they’re all wearing the same gowns), many family members have a hard time finding their students. This is why many students use this opportunity to decorate their caps and get noticed by those in attendance from home. Over the years graduating seniors have chosen to stand out by decorating their caps to display:

• Gratitude to family members
• Their hopes for the future
• What makes them unique
• Political statements
• Protest against injustice
• Funny quotes or memes
  

All you really need is a little creativity and some supplies from the arts and craft store, and you’ve got yourself a stand out graduation cap. You’ll only graduate from college once, so why not make it a memorable experience for yourself and your family?

Our Favorite Statement-Making Graduation Ideas

Try these ideas for your college graduation caps

If you’d like to make a statement with your graduation cap, but aren’t sure where to start, we’ve got you covered. Consider trying out one of these ideas that are tried and true classics. Or use them as inspiration to think up something even more creative that relates specifically to your friends or family. When it comes to designing caps, the sky's the limit!

Gratitude cap

This is one of the best choices you can make for your graduation cap because it acknowledges the fact that no one gets where they are alone—there’s always someone in their corner helping them every step of the way! Whether you want to call out mom and dad, grandma, or your favorite uncle, you can use your graduation cap to do just that. Think of a great quote that encapsulates just how much it means to you to have family and friends to help you and fall back on when you need them the most. Even if you just want to say thank you and include some pictures of the people who mean so much to you, that works too! They’ve supported you all through your time at school, now is the time to take them across the stage with you while you get your diploma!

Another great way to do a gratitude cap is to inspire the people around you to be more humble and kind. You are able to walk across your graduation stage because of all the love and support you had from friends and family, so make sure you remember that! Help remind everyone that being humble and kind are amazing qualities to strive for, and that we should all try to keep in mind that these kinds of qualities are what really makes a difference in people’s lives.

Looking to the future/job prospects cap

Since you are at a graduation ceremony, chances are there are people there from all sorts of professions. That means that there are also a lot of potential people who you might want to network with, who just might happen to be in the area that you’re looking to get a job in. While some students are more up front and tape “hire me” to their grad caps (which is also quite funny!) you can take a more subtle approach and let all those spectators know what your new field of expertise is. Consider making your cap pop with what your major is, or what you hope to pursue post graduation.

You can even keep it quite broad, and just include a design that reflects how you’re looking to the future now. While your time at college might be over, that doesn’t mean that your story is. In fact, it is just beginning! Let everyone around you know that the best is yet to come, and that everyone has a blank page going forward. Fill it with what you want to do!

The story goes on cap

Your story is going to go on long after you graduate from college. You’ve put in a lot of hard work to get to this point, but it’s only the end of one chapter! Let everyone know that they haven’t seen anything yet, and you’re ready to take on the next portion that’s waiting for you. Whether that’s entering the job force, going on to additional school, or even taking some time off to consider your options or travel. You can decorate this cap in your school colors, or with colors and decorations that showcase where you want to go in life. 

Favorite quote cap

Everyone has a favorite quote from a movie or TV show, or even from their favorite book or inspirational person they look up to. If there’s a specific quote that just sums up your college experience, or one of where you see yourself in the future, put it on your cap! Some of our favorites include:

“The road goes ever on” -JRR Tolkien

“College debt is not a joke, Jim!” -The Office

“Nevertheless she persisted” - said about Elizabeth Warren

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard” -Winnie the Pooh

“Great Scott!” -Doc from Back to the Future

There are plenty more that you could use on your graduation cap to make a statement, these are just to get you started! 
A lot of students choose a funny or humorous quote to put on their caps as this not only makes you stand out from the crowd, but it also brings a little bit of fun to a somber ceremony like a graduation. Although it’s exciting to receive your diploma and be rewarded for all the hard work you’ve put in, graduation is a recognition that you are now prepared enough to enter the real world. And that can be scary! Why not use this last hurrah at your school to help people laugh and remember the moment. Funny quotes always stand out, and you can return and laugh at the pictures of your cap for years to come. 

Political message cap

Students are some of the most politically active in their communities, which is why you also see a lot of political messages and calls for justice on graduation caps. Our society can do better when it comes to a lot of issues, and using the back of your graduation cap is a great way to showcase a cause that means a lot to you. Whether you choose to focus on one specific issue such as climate change or racial justice, or just want people to know where you stand and what you support politically, consider putting this type of message on your cap.

Examples of Grads Who Have Used Graduation to Make a Statement

Check out these stories of students who used their caps to make a statement

One of the unspoken rules of graduation day ceremonies is to decorate your cap from your cap and gown. With so many people sitting above and around you, this is not only a great way for your family and friends to find you more easily among the rest of the student body, but it will also make you stand out. If you want to use this DIY project as a way to build professional relationships, here's a few creative ideas from students that may get you thinking!

The student in the above image chose a quote from Dwight of The Office to decorate her graduation cap. Although the reference is funny, the sentiment is undoubtedly true for her, and many other students. Now that you’ve graduated, you're ready and waiting for the next challenge to come your way, which you’ll continue to to work hard until you succeed! Never back down from obstacles and you’ll get to where you want to go. Now that’s some great graduation advice!

One student from Whitworth showed just how ready she was for the working world with a pair of business dress socks glued to her cap. The words, "It's business time!" completed the look, making her cap different from all of the rest. This is such a creative way to show potential employers that you mean business. Check her cap out here!

However you decide to decorate your cap should be fun and eye-catching. If you're a design major, show off your decorating skills and wow potential employers. If you want to be sweet, say "Thanks Mom and Dad" to show them that you appreciate their contribution to your success. At the end of the day, this cap is yours to decorate, so be creative and have fun!