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There are a number of applications that request you list your awards and certifications. I have been quite active, but have virtually no actual awards.

Specifically, Wharton asks "List the most significant college, university, community and professional awards, honors or scholarships you have received."

I was thinking of taking a different approach to this question and thinking outside of the box. For example, in mentoring troubled high school students, seeing them get their diploma was my greatest award (better articulated, of course), etc.

I acknowledge this could be a bit risky, but without anything else to fill in that space, I would like some professional advice on whether its a clear red flag or perhaps I should go for it? Thanks!

Dear Phumbert,

Thanks for your post. While I recognize your hesitancy to leave the 'Awards' box blank, I would discourage you from bending the rules just to throw something in there. This sort of tactic simply risks annoying your admissions reader (they dislike applicants who don't follow instructions) - nor will the content you provide be counted as an award.

My advice is that you step back and think carefully about any awards you may have recieved (Dean's List, scholarships, academic honors, community recognition, stipends for intenships, etc). If there really is nothing, then you will need to leave the field blank.

The good news here is that it's not the end of the world if you don't have any awards. There are other applicants out there who do not have awards, and this is by no means the determining factor in the admissions equation.

Best of luck,

Graham

Graham,

Interesting! Does stipend for internships qualify as awards? I did a pro bono consulting project for a major hospital, though I did not ask for it, I was given a cheque. Does this qualify? If yes, how do I claim this as an award?

Does 'Awarded stipend for consulting 'x' organization in reaching the goal' sound alright?