Honors & Awards

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Tegan05

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How important is this section of the application? I feel like I don't really have a lot to put here, and am not sure how negatively that is going to affect me.

I have been on Dean's list for multiple semesters, and will hopefully graduate with a high enough GPA to graduate with some form of honors, but that's about it.
I am considering doing an Senior thesis project, but I have to talk to my adviser and see if I'm allowed to. I transferred to UF as a junior so I'm not sure what their policy is on that.

Has anyone else had this issue?
Are Adcoms looking for just academic honors, or other achievements as well?

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How important is this section of the application? I feel like I don't really have a lot to put here, and am not sure how negatively that is going to affect me.

I have been on Dean's list for multiple semesters, and will hopefully graduate with a high enough GPA to graduate with some form of honors, but that's about it.
I am considering doing an Senior thesis project, but I have to talk to my adviser and see if I'm allowed to. I transferred to UF as a junior so I'm not sure what their policy is on that.

Has anyone else had this issue?
Are Adcoms looking for just academic honors, or other achievements as well?
The Dean of admissions at CSU told me that if you leave this section blank it is a red flag that can reflect poorly on your app. However it sounds like you have some stuff to put here. Look at the Successful applicants for some ideas of what to put in this section. Also, she recommended that if you were on the Deans list several semester, but not all, you might want to split these into separate entries to make it look more substantial. I have heard different things about this though. Cant argue with the DOA though!
 
Splitting Dean's List into an event every time you got it is fine. I did it this way and nobody mentioned it in my interviews, etc. I also suggest adding any scholarships or named award (research funding, grants, etc) you've received as well. You can add any accomplishments from high school as well if they are significant and help build a larger picture of you as an applicant (read: any award for excellence in life sciences or being awesome at your hobby).
 
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Look at how the school you're applying to weights it in their application, because some of them don't mix it in with your academic evaluations, and you're gonna want to make sure you're getting some points there.

Be strategic about it, though!

I considered a few little things, too; for example, I was nominated as an "Outstanding Rank Member" for my marching band my junior year, which doesn't really mean anything, but since the band director was one of the professors I had asked to complete an eLOR for me, it gave what he said a touch more credibility. ;)

I also listed Dean's List separately, but that's because there were a few semesters I was missing. ;)
 
Remember that you can include high school honors and awards! Most of the honors and awards I listed on my app were from high school.
 
Or if you played any sports, use those too! - I used a lacrosse award that my teammates voted me for, along with Provost's Honors for x/# semesters of college.
 
Put anything you can think of. I put every award I ever won for any singing or acting competition, and even threw in my Macy's Day Parade appearances. Several of those things got brought up in my interviews. This section is another great way to highlight how you will bring diversity to the class! ANYTHING you can think of! :thumbup:
 
Thanks for the replies everyone! I will have to start thinking about things I can add there. I used to be really competitive on the horse show circuit, but I haven't been showing recently, so that probably doesn't count. I'll look into it!

Unfortunately I don't have anything from high school or scholarships because I actually got my GED due to health problems, and all the scholarship applications require high school transcripts and such :eek:. That whole situation is going into my personal statement though, so I'm sure it will work out.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone! I will have to start thinking about things I can add there. I used to be really competitive on the horse show circuit, but I haven't been showing recently, so that probably doesn't count. I'll look into it!
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Why wouldn't that count? Of course that would count. This is exactly the kind of thing that helps a little. Just to show you have excelled at something you have done.

I included High school music and debating awards, agility titles, CGC, anything I could think of it. It was mostly garbage but it helps to show you are a well rounded and successful individual.
 
Just put anything in the whole wide world you can think of and let THEM decide if it "counts" :thumbup:
 
Nah, you're set.

It would be super awesome if you get an award for winning the world equestrian games.... but that's not exactly a reasonable expectation for applicants. Think back to stuff that happened in high school, especially college scholarships (even if you didn't accept them) and you'll come up with something to write there. I think having absolutely nothing is bad, but they don't expect you to have tons of stuff.
 
Thanks guys, I had kind of forgotten about the horse shows! I have a couple big championships from 2008 and 2009, so those are the most recent show results I have. My state equitation championships were back from 2005 I think, so that may be stretching it a little, but I'll check it out!
 
My state equitation championships were back from 2005 I think, so that may be stretching it a little, but I'll check it out!

I can't remember if I actually ended up included it, but my lack of decorum definitely had me seriously considering if I should include my "Attitude award for PE" from back in 2002. I also listed "inspirational volunteer" award from the humane society too, as if it meant anything. And I'm pretty sure I included the Governer Gray Davis Scholarship that anyone who scored in the top 10% of your high school or CA overall got. Given the crappy school I went to, this was not very hard. Half the school was illiterate. All of this I got prior to 2003...

No dean's list or merit scholarships or honor's society for this gal. Not even an honor's project for senior year. Baaaarely squeezed in with a cum laude at the finish line. I think I only really listed little things like intramural summer stipends for volunteer work (most people who apply get it), speaking at the college conference (that really anyone can do), etc... All of my publications were still under review or revision process so I couldn't list them under this section.

So your state equitation championships would have totally blown anything of mine out of water. Definitely list them!
 
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