✍️ Quick + Chill Honors + Awards Guide

(aka: how to make “perfect attendance certificate” not look like your #1 flex)

1. Keep It Real 🏆

Not everyone has national medals — and that’s fine. Colleges care more about context than a giant trophy case. Small, local, or niche awards still show commitment.

2. Order = Impact 🔑

Put your biggest or most meaningful honors first. National > State > School > Personal. Think of it like a highlight reel, not a participation list.

3. Details Beat Titles 📋

“Academic Excellence Award” is vague. Better: “Top 3 of 500 in school GPA ranking.” Give colleges the scope so they actually understand why it matters.

4. Quality > Quantity ⚖️

It’s better to list a few awards that mean something than clutter with every ribbon since kindergarten. Don’t drown your real wins in noise.

✨ My Tip: If you’re unsure what counts, ask: “Would I tell a friend about this?” If the answer is yes → keep it. If it feels like bragging about a “Perfect Attendance” pencil… maybe skip.

Do This Right Now

List out every award or honor you’ve gotten (yes, even the tiny ones).

Highlight the 3–5 that best show your effort or impact.

Reword them with clear scope (numbers, ranking, scale).

Boom. You’ve got an honors section that actually makes sense. 🎉

Need Help Making It Shine?

If you’re not sure which honors to include, or how to word them so colleges actually see the impact, I offer 1:1 support. I’ll help you sort the real highlights from the fluff and polish them into a strong section for your apps.

👉 Check out my services here

Keep grinding out there ✌️

– Frank