Graduation Fact Sheet

Contact: Megan Ferington or Frank Cirillo, 216.252.4938
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Cleveland, Ohio (April 2007) – It is estimated that nearly five million students will celebrate their graduation in the United States this year. Among the celebrants, there will be more than three million high school graduates, more than 1.4 million college graduates, almost 600,000 Master’s candidates, and an estimated 48,000 new doctoral grads. Just as diverse as these achievements are the students who will receive them, so the creative minds at American Greetings designed the new graduation cards and accessories to commemorate the many different styles and personalities among this year’s class.

Here are some additional statistics and facts on the Class of 2007:

The Millennial Generation: The Class of 2007 at high schools and colleges around the world will include many students who are considered part of the Millennial generation, those born between 1980 and 2002. According to sociologists, this first post-Generation X group is comprised of young people who have a strong desire to advance in a chosen career and have grown increasingly comfortable with taking on responsibility thanks to the amount of independence they’ve experienced since a young age.

Graduation brings out the card-giver in all of us: This year, an estimated 77 million graduation cards will be given, making graduation the 6 th most popular card-sending occasion. According to the Greeting Card Association, many of these 77 million cards will end up in the hands of high school grads. The GCA reports that 60 percent of all graduation cards purchased will be given to those celebrating a high school graduation. The typical high school graduate can expect to receive 17 cards, while the college graduate will receive 7.5 cards, on average.

New card styles and trends: A common theme among all past graduating classes is a focus on the graduation year as a major symbol in cards and gifts, however this doesn’t seem to be the case with the Class of 2007. This graduating class is less concerned with long-term keepsakes that feature the year of graduation. Students of today are more interested in gifts and cards that express their fun spirits and personalities. While the company still offers designs that incorporate 2007, many of the new graduation cards from American Greetings feature non-traditional color schemes and designs that reflect the celebratory nature of the season and allow each graduate to express their own unique style.

School chums: A growing trend in the graduation industry is graduates exchanging cards and gifts with their fellow grads. The Greeting Card Association reports that 49 percent of all graduation cards are given to friends, both by a fellow graduate and the graduate’s parents. This year, American Greetings has humorous and heartfelt cards for graduates looking to celebrate the milestone with a fellow classmate.

The grad-to-grad cards feature more conversational language and unusual twists on traditional icons of the season. One such example challenges the usual blue-yellow-black color palette of the graduation season with a light green background, adorned with a burnt orange mortarboard and bright pink felt lettering that says, “Of course we made it. We’re geniuses. Happy Graduation.”

Several grad-to-grad cards express more sentimental feelings about the accomplishment. One such features a subtle design of interweaving leaves in a cool color scheme of muted greens with white accents. The card reads, “Even when all this is a distant memory…we’ll still be the best of friends. I couldn’t have made it without you. Happy Graduation.”

Show me the money: The most popular gift for any graduate is money, which is often in limited supply but strong demand for most students who are in a transition period in their lives, often moving on to college or getting a place of their own. While the gift of money is always appreciated, American Greetings new money and gift cardholders allow a personal message to go along with the cash or plastic.

Fun money and gift cardholders this graduation season include designs that use contemporary slang, such as the one that reads, “Mad Cash” on the front and “Grad Cash” inside. Other cards play on pop culture influences. For instance, one option for a videogame enthusiast actually resembles their favorite pastime, complete with a character that looks ripped from an arcade game. It reads, “Level Cleared.” The inside reads, “You win. The forces of good applaud you.”

You can take it with you: As many high school graduates prepare to head off to college, the desire to maintain relationships and keep in contact with friends is important. This graduation season, American Greetings offers new cards and accessories to remember the good times of high school, which are perfect for bringing along to college.

One new accessory is the Slam Book, which is like a miniature-customized yearbook for high school graduates. The Slam Book allows students to include more personal stories and lighthearted experiences, and the size makes it much easier to take along to college than a traditional yearbook. The Slam Book also has many intriguing questions that might be fun to look back on years from now, including, “If you won the Million-Dollar Lottery, what would you spend it on?”, “If you had a theme song, what would it be?”, and, “Do you believe in destiny or accident?”

Don’t forget about the little ones: While high school and college graduates are top of mind this time of year, they aren’t the only ones celebrating notable achievements. The Class of 2007 also includes younger children “graduating” from pre-school and kindergarten. Recognition of these accomplishments is often more colorful than those of their older counterparts, and this year American Greetings has a wide array of cards appropriate for all of those celebrating the first of many achievements with specific cards for both pre-school and kindergarten grads.

About American Greetings Corporation
American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of social expression products. Along with greeting cards, its product lines include gift wrap, party goods, stationery, calendars, ornaments and electronic greetings. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual net sales of approximately $1.8 billion. For more information on the Company, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com.