Anyone applying for the Ron Brown Scholar Program this year (2014)?

It’s a $40k scholarship for African American students, and they select 20 students per year (out of a huge pool of applicants).

Anyway, I’m about to submit my app and I had some questions. They seem to mention A LOT the number of scholars who attend Ivy Leagues, so should I mention my early action acceptance? Someone asked this question on a thread years ago, but there was no answer. Didn’t want it to come off like bragging, but I’m not sure.

Also, since one of my essays is about my passion for journalism, am I allowed to include a newspaper clipping of an article I wrote? (All materials get mailed in a big manila envelope anyway).