upon completing high school

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "upon completing high school" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use this phrase to refer to the moment when someone has finished all the requirements for their high school diploma. For example: "Upon completing high school, she was accepted into her top choice college."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

Wiki

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Upon completing high school in 1962, she began studies in art at Pratt Institute.

Duke University

Upon completing high school, he accepted an athletic scholarship to play basketball at Long Island University (LIU).

Wikipedia

At the end of the 1997 season and upon completing high school at Marcellin College, he was offered a place at the Australian Institute of Sport, where he reunited with childhood pal Vince Grella.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Remember that any offer of admission to a college is contingent upon successfully completing high school in a manner consistent with your record at the time of application.

The New York Times

Here are some reasons to avoid senioritis, along with excerpts from our previous posts: Somewhere in all those college admission letters, after the "congratulations" part, is a sentence to the effect that admission is conditional upon the student completing high school with the same academic and personal achievement on which the offer was based.

The New York Times

More young people were completing high school.

The New York Times

A significant difference was found when comparing those subjects completing elementary school to those subjects completing high school and college.

Journal of Renal Nutrition

Both have not worked in Ethiopia since completing high school.

The Guardian

Turner wrote that completing high school was his goal.

The Washington Post

After completing high school (1892), Dodge taught in district schools and eventually became a high school principal.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Our goal is beyond students completing high school.

University of Chicago

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "upon completing high school" to clearly indicate a sequence of events, where the action in the main clause directly follows the completion of high school. For example, "Upon completing high school, he enrolled in university."

Common error

Avoid using "upon completing high school" if the subsequent action is not directly and immediately related to finishing high school. Using "after completing high school" or "following high school" might be more appropriate in such cases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "upon completing high school" functions as a prepositional phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate when an action takes place. Ludwig AI suggests that the phrase is grammatically sound and provides examples of its usage in context.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Academia

33%

Wiki

33%

News & Media

33%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "upon completing high school" is a grammatically correct prepositional phrase used to indicate an action that immediately follows the completion of high school. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. The phrase is most commonly found in academia, wikis, and news media. While not overly frequent, it is a clear and effective way to establish a temporal sequence. When using this phrase, ensure that the subsequent event is directly related to finishing high school to avoid misinterpretations. Consider alternatives like "after high school graduation" or "following high school" if immediacy is not essential.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

after finishing high school

More informal than "upon completing", using "finishing" instead of "completing".

after high school graduation

Focuses on the formal event of graduation rather than the act of completing studies.

on graduation from high school

Emphasizes the act of graduating and is slightly more formal.

following high school

A more general term indicating events that occur after high school, without necessarily implying immediate succession.

once high school was completed

Changes the structure to a passive voice.

post high school

A broader term referring to anything related to the period after high school.

at the end of high school

Focuses on the end point of high school rather than what happens immediately after.

subsequent to high school

A more formal and less common way of saying after high school.

with high school diploma in hand

More figurative, emphasizing the achievement of earning the diploma.

having completed secondary education

Uses more formal language and specifies "secondary education" instead of "high school".

FAQs

What does "upon completing high school" mean?

The phrase "upon completing high school" refers to the moment someone finishes all the requirements for their high school diploma, suggesting the start of new activities or opportunities immediately following graduation.

How can I use "upon completing high school" in a sentence?

Use "upon completing high school" to show that something happened directly after graduation, such as "Upon completing high school, she traveled to Europe."

What's the difference between "upon completing high school" and "after completing high school"?

"Upon completing high school" suggests that an event happened immediately after graduation. "After completing high school" is more general and doesn't necessarily imply the event was immediate. For instance, "after completing high school", he worked for a year before college.

What can I say instead of "upon completing high school"?

Alternatives include "after high school graduation", "following high school", or "post high school", depending on the context and desired level of formality.