<p>I placed very well in a certain competition (international level). Is it in my best interest to include it in my essay if I can incorporate it in well with my essay topic and flesh out some of the details, or would it seem like I'm bragging if it is mentioned in two places in my application?</p>
<p>The purpose of the essay is to humanize you and give the reader a sense of how you’d contribute and fit into their college community, not just for you to expound upon one award. I’d advise against it unless you can wrangle it into a certain prompt. It’s not an issue of bragging but or you shorting yourself an opportunity for the reader to learn to like you.</p>