Receiving unknown award after likely admissions decision. Update?

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Humerus84

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Hello all,

I recently got notified by the head of my department that I will be receiving a departmental award at my undergraduate institution and will be recognized at a spring awards ceremony. From what I understand, these are named awards and given out only to ~10 students out of the 1,000 or so in the LAS college. I was planning on sending an update letter to a few of my schools to inform them of fall grades and a research presentation I gave at an international research conference last fall, but I’m wondering whether to include the award I will be receiving. The reason for the struggle is that I do not know the specific award I will be receiving and the ceremony is not until mid-April (likely after the admissions committees may make a decision on waitlist/accept/reject). Given the unknown nature of the award, do you think that this warrants inclusion in an update letter or not? Besides managing deans list over a couple semesters I don’t have any awards or special recognitions in my application so the fact that I’m receiving something might round out my application a bit. Thanks.

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Personally would ask the department what the award is for. If they don't tell you I wouldn't include it in the update as it offers very little information.

In my experience, awards for awards-sake don't mean much. It's what the award signifies - service, academic achievement, etc, that is important. Awards help committees match the applicant's version of him or herself (as a public servant, researcher, etc) with others' perceptions - that is their value. Without know what that something else is the award is like a fancy wrapper with nothing inside.
 
Hello all,

I recently got notified by the head of my department that I will be receiving a departmental award at my undergraduate institution and will be recognized at a spring awards ceremony. From what I understand, these are named awards and given out only to ~10 students out of the 1,000 or so in the LAS college. I was planning on sending an update letter to a few of my schools to inform them of fall grades and a research presentation I gave at an international research conference last fall, but I’m wondering whether to include the award I will be receiving. The reason for the struggle is that I do not know the specific award I will be receiving and the ceremony is not until mid-April (likely after the admissions committees may make a decision on waitlist/accept/reject). Given the unknown nature of the award, do you think that this warrants inclusion in an update letter or not? Besides managing deans list over a couple semesters I don’t have any awards or special recognitions in my application so the fact that I’m receiving something might round out my application a bit. Thanks.
It won't count until you actually get the award.

IF you send an update, make sure the schools welcome them. Some do not.
 
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