<p>Dad - We first heard about the congressional gold medal from a friend whose daughter did it and she thought it really made a difference during college admissions. Not very many kids are able to complete it but it is very prestigious. In the end it’s so hard to know what it was that made the grade for admissions. My daughter had some impressive ECs in addition to the congressional program but who knows if they made any difference whatsoever. In the end she was published several times and ended up being recruited for her writing. But if she hadn’t tried many other things she may not have found her voice in writing.</p>