<p>I recently won the Harvard Book Award at my school. I did some research and it turns out less than a thousand around the world are given out. What does this mean for me on an application to Harvard? To other schools?
Also, is a particular book award better than others, i.e. Yale, Swarthmore, Williams?</p>
<p>Book Award = PR</p>
<p>There seems to be a misconception that they are a HUGE deal and help with college admissions at that specific university. They are, in fact, given by the active Harvard alumni group around your area... not Harvard University. It's a nice award to have, but don't expect any substantial boost in admissions.</p>
<p>The Harvard Book Award won't make you stand out too much at Ivies. It will only help you at less prestigious schoos.</p>
<p>So the fact that I won the Williams Book Award doesn't really mean anything?</p>
<p>I just checked and in '04 only 570 people won it, so it has to mean something, right?</p>
<p>To the OP: I won it, too, and if you've actually looked at the book it's 500 pages of Harvard propaganda. All it really says is that you're at the top of you're class (which the admissions counselor would know already) and that you have an active Harvard alumni group in your area.</p>
<p>I know, I was pretty disappointed, too.</p>
<p>EDIT: To add onto this topic, though, would it be a bad idea to list a Harvard Book Award when applying to say, Princeton? Especially since it's not a HUGE deal, and those two are going to be duking it out for applicants.</p>
<p>The Williams book award was a purple Dictionary. Pretty straightforward.</p>
<p>Depends on how many people applied or were nominated. If it's 570 out of 30,000, that's pretty impressive. If it's 570 out of 600, not so much. (Clearly exaggerating, but you get the idea.)</p>
<p>That's the thing, though- you don't apply, and you don't know who's nominated.</p>
<p>I think that the alumni group can nominate one person from every school in the nation.</p>
<p>Ahhh. So maybe they just nominate their friend's kid or something?</p>
<p>There were certain criteria you had to meet. High academics, ECs, etc. the usual stuff, but not just anyone could get it.</p>
<p>Yeah, I don't know any Harvard Alums.</p>
<p>Formally, the "prize book" is awarded to:
"the outstanding student in the next to the graduating class who 'displays excellence in scholarship and high character, combined with achievement in other fields.'"</p>
<p>I don't know anyone from Williams either.</p>
<p>It's not necessarily a matter of knowing someone in the alumni group - generally the group presents the book and a set of criteria to school administrators, who then select a recipient on behalf of the alumni.</p>
<p>The book award is an honor which will look great on your college application since it is based on your achievements and character. Alumni finance the awards, usually by donating money to buy the books. The number of book awards vary depending on alumni support. The alumni groups contact schools to see their interest in participating in the program. Not every school chooses to participate. The school selects the winner.</p>
<p>This book award thread appears about once every 2-3 weeks. Do a search and you'll find out lots of info. Basically this: it's NOT prestigious in the large scheme of things. The only reason there is only 570 awards given is that there were only that many interested alumni of H or whatever awarding school that deemed they should spend some of their local club's money to maintain good PR with select high schools in their local area. </p>
<p>If and ONLY IF your school is deemed worthy by local alumni clubs (and maybe some smaller admissions offices) to maintain a PR relationship because it's a likely feeder for applicants to their college, AND if there is enough $ that year for the books, AND if there's a dedicated alum who is willing to drop off the book to your principal's office -- THEN the book award is given that year.</p>
<p>It goes like this: high school A consistently has about 4-5 apps to prestigious college B. The dedicated alumni rep of college B goes out to Borders and gets the book. His admissions office sends him the nice insert/plaque/certificate. He drops it off with the head guidance counselor or principal at high school A. That's it. </p>
<p>Later, as awards night beckons, the GC/Principal/dept heads sit around and say: which juniors will be recognized? Is anyone left out? How many book awards do we have this year? Then they spread them around. I guess H and Y book awards might go to the more celebrated Juniors that get lauded that evening (LOL). THe awarding colleges have NOTHING to do with the selection process. It's PR for the college (to keep the school in prospective Juniors' minds) and it helps high school A because they have freebie awards and maintains their status of having good relationships w/nice colleges. Did you ever wonder why Seniors don't get book awards? It's because marketing to them is too late already. </p>
<p>Maybe come the awards banquet the alumni might make the presentation. I've heard that the award is just on the student's seat that night and a name is read off. </p>
<p>Is it a point of pride? Sure. It signifies that your own high school values you as one of the better juniors that year. Does it have any influence on selective colleges view you? Extremely doubtful. It's roughly above being included in "Who's Who in American High Schools". </p>
<p>annstone: "Not every school chooses to participate" It may be true but most schools are never even considered. How many low performing inner city or rural high schools get Harvard book awards? Zero. It won't "Look great" because many top kids come from schools that don't have the awards and, given the arbitrary nature of the award, it's value is very suspect.</p>
<p>Finally, I don't mean to sound so negative. If you've rec'd one, it's obvious that your teachers and staff see you as one of the top students. That's not a small achievement. However, your achievements are already visible in your transcripts and other resources beyond the one line that you rec'd the "book award" on your college application. Enjoy the recognition, hopefully enjoy the book, have a great senior year, and good luck in selecting and applying to schools.</p>
<p>Anyone heard of the Rensselaer Medal? Does the same go for that? It's kind of similar to a book award, except it's a 15K scholarship.</p>
<p>My friend got that and i got the Bausch and Lomb award. I think that they are pretty much like the book awards, except focused on science, and they include scholarships to Rensalear and University of Rochester</p>
<p>Sounds like a nice effort why is everyone whining? I'll take the $$$$ or the prize or the free book or the opportunity to meet someone who is a cool alumni? Why all the whining????</p>