I sent my applications by 1/15 deadline and was happy that everything was done. Then in early Feb, I got a regional award (highest score, but 8th grade not allowed to enter state level). So I sent an update to the admission office for all the schools.
All of them except one replied “congratulations. will add this to your application”. One school replied “your application is already being read by the AO, I can add to your file if you want”-- now I am not sure if that’s good or bad news for me.
Anyways, I replied “thank you” to all of them.
One week later I won another regional contest (totally different field) and I am going to state contest for my current school soon. Should I send another update? --I worry that I send updates too often and make myself look annoying.
Any experience or opinion, please share. Thank you!
I think you should think about a couple of things…
Where are they in the review?
Will this meaningfully change your application?
So yes, you can send another update and they can add it to your file. They may have read the file or not, and while it sounds like an exciting award to have won – congratulations! – you now need to ask if it’s of the type that changes your file.
Personally, I would not send at this point, go to States, and if I ended up on a WL, send the results of States to that school when explaining why I would enroll if offered a place.
If you feel this is truly a game changer and want to send, do it and note that you realize it’s late in the process. I can certain see how for an athletic recruit, achieving a certain time could be important info for a coach.
I’m guessing you have already demonstrated proficiency in the area in which you won this prize and it makes you eligible for a bigger prize which you are now competing for but it’s not going to meaningfully impact your application.
Every school will be in a different stage of application review and you will not know that stage. You will not be the only person sending updates at this point. Some schools were still doing interviews until a few days ago, maybe some still are. Heck some people still think it’s ok to be sending test scores or general application materials at this point. If you feel it is important, then add it.
Bottom line again: If your award is unique enough and YOU feel it adds value then add it.
You haven’t said what it is, and no one has seen the rest of your application to judge its worth for your case, you haven’t mentioned any school names so no one knows if they have rolling admissions after a priority deadline, basically no one really knows your specific details nor knows what the AO would do or say in the schools you applied to. Some here will tell you athletic achievements have more weight and should be sent and others may feel social/community recognition hold significant worth. You mention “Regional” award but again that means nothing because a region can be a region of a metropolitan area, a state, a country large or small, or a continent. It’s vague so no one can value it but yourself at this point. It’s opinion here, that’s all.
These are not schools with University of Michigan number of applicants (84,000 applicants in 2022!), not even close. But you shouldn’t be sending updates every time you wipe your nose either! If the argument is made that these schools are willing to take application items such as grades, recommendations, and test scores this late or still putting items in files that students sent in, then schools are still taking application materials. Will it make it into your file, will they be polite but put it to the side, no one here works in admissions, it’s all a guess from everyone here. Your AO can tell you, they ARE still fielding questions, some are still holding events, don’t let people freak you out that they will put a black mark on your application should you ask or send in an update.
So you have to decide if it is worth sending whatever it is in. Would I send a weekly update? Absolutely not. But if it is something like you have shown through your grade report that you get excellent grades and you’ve just been inducted into the National Junior Honors Society, that is not at all a unique achievement, though an achievement, as they already know academically you’re top notch. That wouldn’t add anything more to your cause really. Did you win the greater Milwaukee region Robotics tournament like several hundred or thousand other kids across this country did in their region? Or did you win an award from a region of several countries in Africa where you and your school mates built a windmill that can be used to deliver water to desolate farm lands? Do you come from a school with 50 students who don’t have the same sort of awards and recognitions that schools of much larger student bodies seem to have every other day? Winning a tri-city region writing contest could certainly be a significant award in that situation. See, there maybe differences that are unique for you that no one here can speak to their worth! But even if it IS significant and you send an update, they may graciously accept the information and add it to your file or do nothing with it. No one here knows.
Do what YOU think is best. You may not even do the same thing for every school you applied to. You will not be the only person submitting things even at this late stage of the game should you decide to do that. You will not be the only one to reach out to them and ask should you decide to do that. One update is not going to make them throw your app into the fire.
@CuriousBunny
I think your gut is probably right – this doesn’t sound like a major game-changer that is worth submitting at this point.
In the vast sea of internet opinions that you might find, I think you are getting wise counsel from @gardenstategal and @skieurope – both of them are very experienced in this area and I would follow their advice.
The 2nd award is somewhat academic. It probably won’t add too much to my application, since my SSAT and GPA already say plenty about academics.
The 1st award (which I sent) is the same contest that I saw on the private school brochure, when they talk about their existing students getting the same award. I think I am fine sending it.
