TM, it’s not an admission tip, per se, to win something. It adds to the picture, yes. But in holistic and for tippy tops, the whole matters. A kid absolutely has the chance to list those in the Awards or Activities section.
This is about an admit. Not how a college structures web info or what faculty choose to emphasize, to place them among peers, not get admitted to undergrad. For a kid, there’s a diff between showing those versus thinking awards or stats are the primary criteria.
Don’t underrate humility. We aren’t talking of hiding your light under a rock, but delivering in the right ways. If you don’t take some math contest, it doesn’t change you as an applicant. Lots of great kids don’t.
They want kids who think in the ways they like. Some of that usually includes how one choose to stretch. Sure. But more. Show, not just tell. If anything, more kids have “confidence” but still don’t know how to match themselves. That can be critical. It reflects in how you build your hs years and self present in the app and supps.