If you haven’t applied to college yet, don’t worry— there’s still time! Although you may want to hurry as spring deadlines are fast approaching. As you prepare to submit your Common App, it’s important to have all of your required documents on hand to make the application process as easy as possible. While your college application process might vary from school to school, the Common App is a standard application that allows you to apply to multiple schools with the same application. Below are the Common App requirements that honors students should prepare for their application.

Copy of Your High School Transcript

High School transcripts are standard for all college applications regardless of whether you are an honors student or not. If you attend school in Clark County, you can request your official transcripts from the CCSD website for a fee of $10.

List of Your Activities, Work, and Family Responsibilities

You most likely have a healthy list of extra-curricular activities to bolster your Common App as an honors student. These activities can be sports, activities, clubs, internships, or even part-time jobs that you took on after school. Sharing these interests on your application allows admissions staff to have a better idea of who you are, your interests, and your work ethic.

Test Scores and Dates From Your College Entrance Exams

While every school will have different requirements and testing policies, you can self-report your SAT and ACT scores if you have not already shared them. Applicants can submit entrance exam scores through the Common App using the corresponding college codes provided here.

On the Common App, there is a section for family information. This section is used by colleges and universities to college demographic information including your parent’s highest level of education. While this section is optional and has no impact on your financial aid, it can be beneficial for first-generation honors students to show how they have risen to the top of their class on merit.

Academic Honors and Achievements

While the previous requirements apply to both “honors” and “regular” students, the Common App academic honors and achievements section is where honor roll students can stand out the most by sharing their outstanding academic achievements. 

What to Put in Honors Section of Common App? 

There’s a common misconception that only the highest or most prestigious academic awards should be listed in the honors section of the Common App. Remember that “academic” is used loosely in this context, which means you can list up to five honors including distinctions in art, publications, and sports! This is the time to share not only your Grade Point Average but also if you were a member of the National Honor Society, speech and debate teams, or other academic clubs.

For each of these awards, you will have to provide the honor title, the grade level when you were awarded, and the level of recognition including a brief description indicating its meaning and purpose and, if any, the technical qualification of the award. Common App classifies awards according to the following level of recognition: school-wide, state/regional, national, and international. 

Where Is Honors Section on Common App?

You can find the Common App Honors section under the “Education” tab. It is almost the last item on the list, but, as we mentioned, this is where honors students can stand out the most. Remember that your achievements should be listed from the most to the least impressive. Ideally, the most impressive being the most recent achievements in your high school career. Maximise your 100 characters by combining your awards, using phrases, using recognized abbreviations, and including your most important achievements beginning with the 9th grade only.

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