Gift Cards Top List of Best Grad Gifts

“To give or not to give,” is just one of the questions facing those of us close to a high school senior. Then, there’s what to give and how much to spend. If you ask a senior, he or she will probably reply that a gift is, of course, appropriate, but what about parents and grandparents who may be footing much or all of the bill for a college education? Do they break out the plastic, or is college a gift?

Certified Etiquette Consultant Karen A. Scarfo, of Etiquette Essentials CT in Torrington, says great gifts that are appropriate and most appreciated for the high school grad include cash and gift cards to stores where they can purchase items for college and food stores.

The same applies to college grads. “After all, they will be starting out in life and need every helping hand they can get,” Scarfo says.    

“Other thoughtful gifts for either high school or college grads are engraved pen and/or pencil sets, business card holders, stationery sets, thank you notes, cards, etc. These are gifts that one usually does not purchase for themselves,” she adds.

Spending money on a gift is always up to the individual giver. “It is suggested however, that one spend an amount that is comfortable to their budget and appropriate to the level of knowing the recipient. For example, immediate family spend a little more, distant family or friend of family a little less.” 

Parents, the consultant says, “are not required by either obligation or precedence to purchase a gift.” 

“Sometimes a parent may feel that their education (college) is gift enough.  Some parents feel the need to be extravagant (cars, trips).  Some also feel that a party or send off to college is gift enough. Either or all of these options are acceptable and fall within modern gift giving protocol.”

Regional School District 13 Superintendent Susan Viccaro has found that many students heading off to college are required to bring a laptop with them. "Many colleges allow students to buy them through the college at a discounted rate. In talking with parents over the years, this is often a high school graduation gift in preparation for the fall,” she says. 

According to Howard Thiery, Regional School District 17's Superintendent, "Graduation from high school represents many different things to different families and within different cultures.  This makes recommendations terribly difficult.  My only real suggestion is that a graduation gift represents the esteem the gift giver holds for the accomplishment as well as a sense of the future that graduation from high school presents."

Thiery confesses that while his advice is not concrete, "gift giving is a personal act and as long as it represents the thoughts of the giver it is always appropriate and appreciated."

One of the biggest gifts is a Cross pen, according to Margaret Sprague, president of in Madison. “People come in here all the time and give graduates a pen. We carry a large supply of Cross pens, some of which are very appealing to younger people,” Sprague endorses.

“We also put their names on thank you cards. There’s a big selection of thank you cards for them to send to the people who have given them gifts. That makes a good gift,” she says.

“Printed stationary with a name on it is a larger gift from a grandmother, for example, and does take a little bit of time,” Sprague adds.

Another popular gift is journals. “Kids like to have journals, and we have some good looking leather ones by Cross and recycled paper ones,” she says.  

President and CEO of , John Green, says, "there is no right amount of money, as there is no right amount of money to spend on a suit." 

"It's a remembrance, so if someone can spend $25, Lux Bond & Green has beautiful things for $25 and it might be very appropriate," he says and adds, "Someone else might say 'My father gave me a watch and I'm going to do that,' and spends $1,000 or $5,000."

"It really has to do with how important the occasion is between the parties," according to Green. "It's more about the thought than it is about how much," he adds. 

If the parents are paying for college, Green feels it is appropriate to buy the graduate a gift. "It has to do with the thought process," he explains. 

Earrings are always popular for women. "A woman can always use a new pair of shoes; an earring is like a new pair of shoes - you can never have too many.

"A small pair of diamond studs or a pair of silver earrings that are $25 can be worn at college."

Also popular are bracelets that are engravable. For guys, watches are popular.

"Whether it's a Swiss Army watch that's $150 to a few hundred dollars or whether it's a TAG Heuer that maybe is $1,000 to $1,500 - those are very appropriate and durable timepieces to wear to college." 

Graduation Dates To Keep in Mind:

–  June 24, 7 p.m.

– June 21, 6:30 p.m.

–  June 1, 8 p.m.

–  Baccalaureate Mass on May 21, 5 p.m., Graduation ceremony on May 22, 10:30 a.m.