Honors and Awards on Common App - How to Write and Order Your Achievements

Oct 1, 2026

Honors and awards content provides practical guidance for filling the Common App Honors and Awards section, including what qualifies as “academic honors” and what should instead appear in the Activities section. It explains how to describe achievements concisely, restrict descriptions to about 100 characters, and use appropriate abbreviations for recognizable awards. The guidance covers how to categorize honors by School, State/Regional, National, and International, including criteria for distinguishing national vs. international competition scope, and how to prioritize the most relevant, recent, and impactful items.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

What to Put in the Common App Honors and Awards Section

Academic Honors vs Activities

Choosing and Describing Awards Concisely

Prioritizing and Ordering Honors

Categories: School, State/Regional, National, International

Handling Too Many Honors with Additional Information

Honors and awards common app Honors and awards common app examples. What-honors-and-awards-should-go-on-my-common-app. Awards and honors for college application. Honors common app examples. What do honors mean on the common app. Honors common app. Honors and awards examples. Common app honors section. Common app honors and awards section. What to put for honors and awards on common app. Here's an example of a well-crafted Activities List that showcases a student's passion for environmental science and art: **Environmental Science:** * Conducted research on local wildlife habitats as part of a school-led project, presenting findings to peers * Participated in beach cleanups with local organizations, promoting sustainability initiatives * Assisted in designing and implementing eco-friendly garden spaces within the community **Art:** * Collaborated on murals at local gardens, exploring environmental art and its impact * Sold nature photography on social media platforms, featuring unique perspectives on urban landscapes * Attended a summer program focused on environmental art, expanding knowledge and skills **Intersections:** * Designed and executed a school-wide campaign promoting recycling and waste reduction, incorporating art and science * Utilized photography to document local conservation efforts, creating visual stories for community engagement * Developed a comprehensive plan for a school garden, integrating art, science, and sustainability principles When listing honors and awards on your Common App, remember that "Academic Honors" specifically refers to achievements in subjects like Chemistry or British Literature. You can include distinctions from other areas like music, art, poetry, journalism, photography, or community service, but not athletic achievements (those go in the Activities section) . National Honor Society membership isn't a significant factor for colleges; if you have a high GPA and volunteer hours noted elsewhere, it won't make a difference. Be concise when describing awards, using 100 characters maximum. If the award is from a well-known organization like AMC or AP Scholar, abbreviate as needed, but avoid doing so for lesser-known contests. For less familiar organizations, include key words to help readers understand what you're referring to. When listing your honors in the Common App Honors Section, it's essential to prioritize relevance and importance. You should start by highlighting your most recent and notable achievements. In this field, there are four options: School, State/Regional, National, and International. To ensure accuracy, consider the scope of each honor. For instance, school-based honors typically include awards like honor roll or best student performer in your high school. State/Regional honors might cover events that don't involve a national organization but do pit you against competitors from other states or regions. If an event is open to participants worldwide, it can be classified as International. When determining whether an honor is National or International, ask yourself if you were competing against people from other countries. For example, the North American Computational Linguistics Open Competition is a continent-wide event that falls under "International. " The American Invitational Mathematics Examination, on the other hand, is considered "National." You can choose more than one option for each honor. For instance, being a member of your school's chapter in a national organization like the National Honor Society would allow you to check both "School" and "National." In general, it's best to lead with your most important, relevant, and recent honors. Here's an example of how to order three honors: Polk High School Honor Roll (Grades 9-11), National Merit Semifinalist (Grade 11), and American Mathematics Competitions, Distinguished Honor Roll (Grade 10) . In this case, the correct approach would be to consider the level of recognition and the grade in which the award w

FAQs

What should count as “Academic Honors” on the Common App?

“Academic Honors” refers to subject-based achievements such as awards in areas like Chemistry or British Literature. Distinctions from other areas may be included, but athletic achievements belong in the Activities section.

How should awards be written in the Honors section?

Describe each award briefly and keep the description under 100 characters. Use abbreviations for well-known organizations, and add key keywords for lesser-known contests so readers understand what the award represents.

How do you decide whether an honor is School, State/Regional, National, or International?

Use the competition’s scope: school-based recognitions (e.g., honor roll), state/region events without a national organization, and international events when you compete against participants from other countries. You may select multiple levels when applicable.

Oct 1, 2026

Uploaded by Emma Wilson