Completing the Honors Section on the Common App
One of the easiest sections of the Common App to overlook is the Honors section. Because there is only room for five entries, many students wonder what qualifies as an honor and how to decide what deserves a spot.
The good news? You don't need a national championship or a perfect SAT score to have meaningful honors to list. Colleges simply want to see the academic recognition you've earned throughout high school.
Where is the Honors Section?
The Honors section is located under the Education portion of the Common App. You can list up to five academic honors or awards you have received during high school.
What Should You Include?
Start with your most significant academic achievements—those that best reflect your accomplishments in the classroom or in academic competitions.
Examples of honors include:
National Merit Recognition
AP Scholar Awards
DECA, HOSA, Speech & Debate, or UIL awards
Department awards (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, etc.)
Science Fair awards
Latin or World Language awards
History, Math, or other academic competition awards
Student of the Month (if based on academic achievement)
Academic Letter
Principal's List or Honor Roll
Honor Society membership (when membership is selective and based on academic achievement)
How Should You Rank Them?
Just like the Activities section, list your honors in order of importance. Consider:
The level of recognition (School, District, Regional, State, National, or International)
The competitiveness of the award
The significance of the accomplishment
Whether it reflects an area of academic strength or interest
For example, a state-level academic competition award would generally be listed before an Honor Roll recognition.
What If You Don't Have Five Honors?
That's completely okay.
Many strong applicants list only two or three honors. Quality is far more important than filling every space. Avoid listing awards that are unrelated to academics or stretching an accomplishment to make it sound more impressive than it is.
Final Tip
Before submitting your application, take a few minutes to gather all of your awards from ninth through twelfth grade. You may be surprised by how many you've earned over the years. Review certificates, school newsletters, emails from counselors, and report cards to make sure you don't overlook something worthy of recognition.
The Honors section may be brief, but it's another opportunity to highlight your academic achievements and demonstrate the effort you've invested throughout high school. Thoughtful, accurate entries can help admissions officers gain a more complete picture of your accomplishments.