<p>hi everyone,
i have a question regarding EC and awards.
I want to know how much difference it makes if i have the following.</p>
<p>Gold medal in a state programming competition. I was the first female to win this in thirteen years, which is the first time ever since the beginning of this competition. (OMIJAL)</p>
<p>First place in a national artificial intelligence competition, meaning robotics. (OMI)</p>
<p>Finalist in national programming competition. (OMI)</p>
<p>Best delegate in an international mun simulation. (IMMUNS)</p>
<p>Finalist in national NASA symposium competition where we programmed a software that explained about the noctilucent clouds. (I could either say finalist or 4th place. Which do you think sounds better?)</p>
<p>Second place nationally in Microsoft Imagine Cup, Project Hoshimi</p>
<p>17, 11, 6th place in state math competition. I am going for the top three this year which is before apps are due. (Should I omit this? Does this sound bad?)</p>
<p>I think I have some more, but my question is this. Someone told me that winning something nationally is a big deal when applying to colleges. Is this true?
By the way, I am currently living in Mexico.
And one more question. Are these awards worth more than those given at the end of the school year that says who got the highest grade in a class? Like the "Best student" awards?</p>
<p>I tried to focus on programming and technology competitions.
Please tell me your honest opinions.
Thank you!</p>
<p>Is this a serious question? Or is this just an excuse to list your awards? </p>
<p>Of course being the first female to ever win a gold medal in a state programming competition trumps getting an award for the highest grade in a high-school class.</p>
<p>Highly selective universities/colleges are looking for a diverse group of students that bring a range of talents to the school, so anything that sets you apart, that is unique, will help your application. There are hundreds of thousands of high schools in the United States alone; among the top 1,000 schools, there are dozens of students who receive awards for “highest grade in a high-school class.” </p>
<p>For other students who may read this and start to feel intimidated, there are many ways to stand out without winning awards beyond your high school. For example, if neither of your parents went to college and you are holding down a time-consuming after-school job to help support your family while maintaining an excellent academic record, then winning a high school award for “highest grade in a high-school class” takes on far more significance.</p>
<p>Wow. I think you like programming. =D</p>
<p>CalAlum, I am sorry if I sound that way
but I was just worried because there is a kid in my school who has many of those best student awards… I don’t.</p>
<p>By the way, is there a section specified for awards? or do I just include it in the EC section.
I have more than 5 ECs and I am sad that I can’t show all my interests…</p>
<p>^^ You should download and print up the application and look it over carefully. You will be able to show all your interests on the application. There used to be an awards section; see if it’s still there. I think you could talk about your interests briefly in one of the essay prompts; another great option is to solicit a letter of recommendation from a teacher who is very familiar with your activities and could provide details. Not all of the information needs to come directly from you.</p>
<p>Explore the MIT admissions website and read about “The Match”: [MIT</a> Admissions: The Match Between You And MIT](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/pulse/the_match_between_you_and_mit/index.shtml]MIT”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/pulse/the_match_between_you_and_mit/index.shtml). Think about how you can sketch a little essay about your interests, what you hope to learn at MIT, and what you hope to contribute to the school community.</p>
<p>What’s strong about your extracurricular activities is not the status of the prizes and awards, but the long list. Nintendo360’s reaction was “wow, I think you like programming.” Anyone would draw that conclusion; you have a sustained interest. If you gain admission to MIT, I can see you having a blast in the Battlecode Competition. Do you know what this is? Get on the website and check it out.</p>
<p>Thank you CalAlum. 
I looked at the application and there is a section for awards but i am a little confused.
there is a section for scholastic and another for nonscholastic.
Where would the ones I mentioned above fit?</p>
<p>and if all of them are scholatic awards, what would be nonscholastic ones? sports? mun?
would my school magazine that I worked on as editor in chief and that won an NCTE award be considered non scholastic?</p>
<p>The word “scholastic” means “of or related to school.” So if your school has a Model United Nations Club and your participation in that club explains your award in an “international mun simulation,” it would be a scholastic award. If you won an award as editor of your school’s magazine, that is a scholastic award. However, if you created a poetry blog or online literary magazine on your own and that effort netted some sort of recognition, it would constitute a nonscholastic award. If you’ve won local or regional awards through your school’s athletics program, those are scholastic awards; if you’ve won awards by participating in a private sports club, those are nonscholastic awards. The Gold Star Award in Girl Scouts is a nonscholastic award, as is the Eagle Scout Award in Boy Scouts.</p>
<p>MIT didn’t used to discriminate between scholastic and nonscholastic awards on the application. Hope this doesn’t cause a lot of confusion.</p>
<p>Hi again,
about the awards,
I would really appreciate it if you could answer the questions I wrote in the parenthesis.
I am doubting about the math competition. Should I include that? or does getting better show that I am trying?</p>
<p>I think you should include it, because you don’t have anything better to show for math.</p>
<p>I slightly suspect a ■■■■■, you don’t see many hispanics named “eunjilee”. It sounds pretty asian to me.</p>
<p>She didn’t say she was hispanic, just that she lived in Mexico.</p>
<p>yeah, im korean but i live in mexico…</p>