I received the Rensselaer Medal and not sure how to list it on the common app. Do most colleges know what this is or do I have to explain it’s a math and science award. Do I list it as Rensselaer Medal or Rensselaer Medal Scholarship? And lastly it it a school award because I was chosen at the school level or national award because of the scholarship?
I would list as a school award. And I believe the colleges know what it is and you don’t need to explain. I have seen Harvard Professors list this award on their bios.
Rennselaer Medal.
National since it’s not given at just your school (unless yours is from a special competition) but the competition’s open to applicants from the entire country.
MYOS1634 has a good point, I take back my earlier response and think that you should list it as a national award
National award and no need to explain, colleges know what it is.
I would list it as a school award because it’s given to the top male and female science+ math students in your school
That being said, @MYOS1634 is right in saying that the award is given nationally. This is quite the dilemma because it’s given nationally but you were only ever competing within your school. I would ask your guidance counselor.
I suppose you can slant it any way you like and find a rationalization but you did not compete with anyone outside your school for the award, so in the true sense it its a school award. RPI had no hand in choosing you as the winner, someone at your high school chose you.
It is similar to National Honor Society which the Common App specifically states you should list as a school award, not national. In the end it is up to you to choose. Colleges are familiar with the hundreds, if not thousands of such awards attached to colleges that are distributed by high schools each year and they know how they are awarded so it really doesn’t matter.