Honors, Awards, And The List Continues

by Stacy Blackman Consulting, Feb 19, 2011

When you are completing your business school application, you will be asked about the honors, awards, and special recognition that you have received in the past. Many applicants worry that they wont be able fill out the entire page with their accomplishments, however the majority forget that it is the not the quantity of recognitions, but the quality.

Many applicants complete the list just as they would fill in their name and address. A large list of impressive awards will be appealing to an admissions team member, but you should pause and reflect on what the admissions team will be most impressed by. What impresses an admissions team member is the fact that you have excelled in an area you were passionate about and that you were able to surpass your peers. In this section you should carefully write down your list of awards, scholarships, and then take a moment to ask yourself why you received the recognition. What attributes did you utilize in order to win that contest or reward? This list of attributes may be the brand message that you want to portray to a business school.

As an example, one applicant we worked with wanted to write an essay saying that her proudest achievement was winning a business plan competition when she was attending her university. Writing an essay to tell them she won wasnt required; an admissions team member could have read that on her application. On the other hand, the essay she ended up writing telling them how and why she won by motivating her team, facilitating the creating of a new invention, and carefully managing the process ended up being an excellent story. The importance is not the accomplishment, but the attributes you called upon in order to win.

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