<p>I know colleges like Harvard don't really consider small things but what impact does having a major achievement as a middle schooler? I guess I'm talking about things like: national acclaim in sports, national geography bee winner, national spelling bee champion, and the Mathcounts winner. I understand that Evan O'Dorney who won the National Spelling Bee in 07 is attending Harvard this fall (But he was also EXTREMELY gifted in math). So my question really is: do colleges really consider them and how much (as hard as it is to answer such a question) do they enhance one's application?</p>
<p>And before anyone asks, I'm not one of those champions, I'm just interested! (Though I was lol)</p>
<p>Colleges in general get kinda annoyed with accomplishments in high school</p>
<p>I can’t think of any off the top of my head except for taking high school classes in middle school, and having the grades put on your transcript. I would have also said Standardized Testing, but I think they have an expiration date (4-6 years? I’m not sure). The ones you mentioned should not go on a College Application.</p>
<p>I think one of my friends got top 10 nationally in the spelling bee when he was 12 or so. He might have put it on his college application. I don’t see the harm in one line on a resume for something as good as that. I did include a few lines on my resume from eighth grade, specifically my state-level Latin finish in 8th grade, not as an accomplishment in itself, but to indicate that my Latining (which became my main, national-level EC in high school) went slightly further back than the beginning of freshman year. Again, I wouldn’t ever emphasize it, but I think it can occasionally help give a slightly fuller picture of your applicaiton.</p>
<p>I feel like you could right a pretty baller essay if you won something as amazing as that…but then again I might not be the best person to ask about this!</p>
<p>Playing with professionals in musical ensemble in public performance (not lessons). State or National awards if significant. Otherwise I would leave Middle School out of the equation.</p>
<p>I think a high level of accomplishment in the Geography Bee/Spelling Bee/Google Science Fair would matter.</p>