Question concerning UG/grad honors on CV for PhD apps

[JeremiahParadise]

Hi, all:

Quick question for you: when deciding on who to admit, how heavily -- if at all -- do admissions committees and/or graduate directors weigh applicants' past honors and/or scholarships? Are they a bump at all? Or are they just expected? Obviously, other bits of one's application will be weighed more heavily than these, but I am just wondering how much, if at all, they might contribute to one's chances for admission. Thanks in advance for whatever insight you can offer -- and good luck to all this fall's applicants!

Best,

Jerry

[truckbasket]

Seem like it would depend on the award, and the circumstance under which it was given. I mean if you have a MacArthur, that would probably open some doors I listed all of mine, but I really couldn't say if they had an effect or not. It was the writing sample and SOP fit that got the greatest response from interested parties.

[ktel]

I would assume it would be a factor in their decision making process. What would definitely make an impact is if you've secured some sort of external funding for your PhD in the form of an award/scholarship

[ecritdansleau]

If it's just an award for writing or something, then it is a feather in your cap, but probably not the deal-breaker that will get you admitted because it it an award for something the committee can judge themselves.

However, if you have such awards, definitely list them--if you take the time to enter contests and whatnot, then it shows you're already getting the hang of a lot of what academics actually do (applying for many more things/awards/publications that they will actually get). If nothing else, it shows you have the initiative to do that sort of thing actively.