I recently participated in an international essay writing competition, where they had 5 different prompts, all based on mental health. Over a 150 people had joined, and they picked 20 finalists, one of them being me. I unfortunately did not win, but I wrote one of the three most inspiring essays they had read. There were 2 judges, a professor from UCLA, and an international communications trainer.
All participants get a certificate, but mine is a little more distinct in that it says “Top 3 Most Inspiring Essays”, with the signature of the organization director, and the two judges (everyone got those signatures).
Would it be worth it to mention this on my college applications next year? UCLA is one of my reach schools, so I was wondering if my application would stand out a little based on this. If it is worth it, how would I add it, seeing that I didn’t win 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place? I was one of the ‘honorary mentions’, so to speak.