10: Congrats (MIT, Stanford, Harvard…)
D1 athlete
IMO/IPHO/ICHO/IBO/IOI/IOAA/IOL
medals
Regeneron STS Top 10; ISEF Top 3 Grand Prize; Google Science Fair age group winner
History Day National Winner
Single/First Author in High Impact Factor Journal
Special performance/Solo at Carnegie Hall
International Competitor in a Sport
Boys Nation President
9: Almost a ticket to a prestigious school (MIT, Stanford, Harvard)
Google Science Fair Finalist; Regeneron STS Finalist; ISEF Best of Category
MOP (9.5)
NSDA Nationals winner
Tournament of Champions Winner
NCFL Nationals Winner
RSI (Research Science Institute)
Published in a relatively prestigious journal
National Student Poet
Jimmy Awards (musical theatre)
8: Amazing accomplishment; Large boost (MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Berkeley, Princeton)
USAMO qualification; AMC 12 Perfect Score; USAPhO/USNCO/USABO/USACO National Finalist
Google Science Fair Semifinalist; Intel ISEF 1st-4th place category; Regeneron STS semifinalist; Davidson Fellow; Presidential Scholar; MIT PRIMES; MITES
FIRST Dean’s List winner; top 5 at FIRST World Championships
Google Code Jam Round 2, 3 Qualifier (Vast majority of Competitors are College students and professionals)
Facebook Hacker Cup Round 2, 3 Qualifier (Vast majority of Competitors are College students and professionals)
International Public Policy Forum Top 32 team
TASP; Writing Portfolio Gold Award; Presidential Scholar of the Arts; Scholastic Art;
All National Band or Orchestra performer
Boys Nation Participant
Clark Scholars
7: Really good, also a large boost (Carnegie Mellon, UC Berkeley, Georgia Tech)
ARML Tiebreaker Round; USAMTS Gold Medal; HMMT top 50
SSP; Simons; CMU SAMS; NIH Research; SUMAC; ROSS; PROMYS; Mathcamp
State governors schools with acceptance rate <15% (PGSS, NJGSS, most other science governor’s schools)
USACO Platinum Division
ISEF Finalist
Top Team, YES Competition (Young Epidemiology Scholarship)
History Day National Level
Scholastic Art & Writing National Gold Medal. NFL Nationals (speech and debate) “breakers” (elimination rounds), Tournament of Champions (debate) “breakers,” Congressional Award Gold Medalist,
International Public Policy Forum Top 64 team
Foyle Young Poet
US Senate Page
HMMT Winner (7.5)
6: Really good, will add value for good colleges (UC Berkeley, UCLA, GIT…)
Google Code Jam Qualifier (Vast majority of Competitors are College students and professionals)
Facebook Hacker Cup Qualifier (Vast majority of Competitors are College students and professionals)
USACO Gold Division (6.5)
AMC 10 Perfect Score(around a 7)
USABO semifinals (6.5)
Less competitive governor’s schools (Acceptance rate between 15% and 25%), any other scholarship summer programs not aforementioned
Congressional Award Silver Medalist; NFL Nationals; Tournament of Champions Qualifier, FBLA Nationals
Science Bowl/Ocean Science Bowl/NAQT winners; Technology Student Association Nationals
FIRST Dean’s List finalist; Top 5 FIRST Super Regionals (FTC)
Scholastic Art & Writing National Silver Medal
Academic Decathlon State (CA) Honors Top 3
University-run poetry contests (Patricia Grodd Prize, Lewis Center at Princeton Prize, etc)
Very selective summer programs (acceptance rate 10-15%: UC Davis YSP, IOWA SSTP, BU RISE, UCSB RMP, HCSSiM, HSMC, MIT Launch, …)
5: Pretty good; will complement an already strong record (Berkeley, UCSD, UCLA, GIT…)
USAPhO/USNCO/NAO semifinals (5.5)
AIME qualification (5.5)
National Latin Convention 1st Places Academic Contests,
All-Eastern/all-regional music, State History Day top 3 place
Top 5 FIRST State Championship (or Regionals for FRC), JETS TEAMS National Finalist, Skills USA Nationals
State Science Fair Winner/Top Award
Academic Decathlon State (AZ/TX/MA/WI), Nationals Top 3 Honors & California Event Golds
Selective summer academic programs (acceptance rate 15-25%: UC COSMOS, UF SSTP, …)
4: Fairly difficult (UC Berkeley, UCSD, GIT, UCSD, UCI, UIUC…)
USACO Silver Division (4.5)
Science Fair Regional winner
Science Bowl national qualification (4.5)
Perfect Score (Multiple Years) on National Latin/Spanish/French Exam
State awards (all-state music, etc)
Academic Decathlon State (AZ/TX/MA/WI) Event Golds
MUN Gavel
AMC 10/12 school winner (depends on your school) (can be as high as a 7)
Art and Writing Regional Gold award
Top 5 FIRST Regional (FTC)
Position in Local Government
National AP Scholar at Junior Year
Science Olympiad State Medals
Placing in some national science or math contest with multiple schools involved such as NatAssessment, CHMMC, BMT(4.5)
3: Some effort involved, but not uncommon (UCSD, UCSD, UCD, UIUC)
Student Body
Winning at local/regional science fairs
All-County music
Eagle Scout;
Gold Award (with prior Silver and Bronze Awards)
National Merit Finalist
Head of a competitive club that you did not found (ex: Mock Trial, Model UN, Science Olympiad, Math League)
Editor in chief of award-winning school newspaper
Head of a club with large membership and substantial activities (Interact Club)
2: Your average go-getter (UCSD, UCSB, UCD…)
Bank of America Awards
Presidential Service Award Volunteering Gold
Local awards/trophies
Essay Contests
Regional History Day
Science Olympiad Regional Medals
1: Common activities (could help for good schools, not amazing though)
National Honor Society
Beta Club
School Departmental Awards
School Honor Roll
Key Club; CSF; Interact Club
National Merit Commended
Member of a club with no distinctions earned
0: A dime in a dozen; meaningless
Who’s Who; National Honor Roll; National Society of High School Scholars