Honors

What is the Common App honors section?

The honors section of the Common App is reserved for you to list your academic honors and awards. Keep in mind that the term “academic” is used pretty loosely in this context. This means that art awards, publications, and athletic awards are all fair game.

You can list up to five honors, and for each one you’ll be asked to provide a brief description (100 characters or less). For each award, you’ll want to indicate the name of the honor, its meaning, and purpose, and the years you received it. It can be tough to describe your accomplishments in such a tiny amount of space, so we’ll provide some advice for that.

Why should I care about honors section?

The honors section is an excellent way for college admissions officers to gain an understanding of your strengths. Your activities section paints a picture of who you are outside the classroom, but the honors section is a demonstration of the things you really excel at. While the honors section certainly won’t make or break your application, it can really help you stand out if properly utilized.

What should I include in the honors section?

The other key fact to know is that “Academic Honors” does mean that the award has to be for Chemistry or British Literature. Distinctions in music, art, poetry, journalism, photography, or community service are every bit as valid to include in this section as those earned in a laboratory or standardized testing exam room. The only category that can be misplaced here is athletic achievements (Best Defender, MVP, Light Weight Champion and etc.) They (athletic achievements) are better suited for the Activities section.

There’s a common misconception that only the most prestigious or impressive awards should be listed on your application. In reality, any recognition of academic accomplishment can and should be included in this section. Of course, internationally recognized honors will look the best on your application, but you shouldn't worry if you don't have those. You may include school level, district/city level, or national level honors. For example, a lot of applicants from Uzbekistan include honors from participation/victory at Uzbek national olympiads, essay contests, MUNs, TEDs, and others. You may strengthen your application by participating in international (online) competitions.

Mistakes to avoid in the honors section

Listing honors in the wrong order

Make sure to lead with your most impressive achievements. The most competitive and well-known honors should be listed first, followed by awards that are lesser known. A general rule of thumb is that national awards should be listed first, followed by state, local, and school awards.

Not using Numbers

The 100 character limit can make describing awards difficult. In order for these brief descriptions to be as impactful as possible, you should quantify the value of the award to the greatest degree possible. Include the technical qualifications for the honor or award (if any), the number of students in the group from which the honorees were selected, and the number of honorees. This is especially helpful for local awards with which admissions committees will be less familiar, but can also emphasize the competitiveness of certain large-scale awards.

(Not) To be picky

Don’t be picky about what you choose to include. There are 5 slots available, and you should try and fill all of them if possible, even if you may initially think you have nothing to include.

If you have the opposite problem and feel as though you don’t have enough space to list all your honors and awards, begin by listing those which are most selective or competitive, and then those most relevant to your potential major or desired career path. Leftover awards can be strategically placed in the descriptions of the Extracurricular Activities section or in the Additional Info section.