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Do you remember how your mother would react when your Aunt April started going off about how precious your two highly competitive cousins were and how they were being showered with praise from their teachers? If your mother was like ours, she would probably have started firing back her own barrage, cataloging every award you had won since the third grade in alphabetical order: Aardvark Lover of the Year, Boy Scouts of America Volunteer Award, Certificate of Merit for the Science Fair… When it comes to writing about your honors and awards in college applications, take on the persona of your proud mother. Brag about your accomplishments as if you are proving that you are indisputably better than your cousins (which you already know is true). To help with the bragging, here are guidelines for determining which awards and honors to list first. Start with awards that carry the most weight, such as national or state recognitions. After that, awards that very few get or that are highly prized in your school or community. Academic awards of any kind should be high on your list followed by awards for leadership, community service, club activities, and athletics. When listing the award, highlight its significance by stating how many received the award each year or for each region. The words, “one awarded each year,” or “one award per district” emphasize the importance of the honor. For example, it’s impressive if you won an award for your commitment to community service; but it’s even more impressive if you note that only one student from each school receives such recognition. Also add explanations for those awards with titles that are not immediately recognizable. For example, “Stallion Award Recipient” could be an award for academic achievement, community service, or excellence in horse breeding. Make sure what the award is for is clear. Here’s an example of a well ordered, yet concise summary of an applicant’s honors and awards: ACADEMIC HONORS 1st Place Oratory: State Speech Tournament (12th); Outstanding Junior: 1 awarded/year (11th); 2nd Place Research: Science Fair (11th); 1st Place Creative Writing Contest: 2 per grade (11th); Principal’s List (9th-present); Certificate: French Class (10th). Don’t hesitate to exercise some of your bragging rights as you complete application forms. The application is designed to highlight your achievements, and you should take advantage of it. If you need any inspiration invite Aunt April over for a cup of tea.
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