Do Model UN awards give me a hook?

3puppies
Wed, 20 Dec 2017 15:57:56 +0000

I have been told that since Model UN has exploded in more and more high schools across the country, it may not be as impressive as it used to be, for the elite schools. The MUN conferences that were held ten years ago had a third of the participation / attendence that today’s conferences hold. However, the flip side of this is that winning awards at higher levels is viewed as much more difficult.

How MUN compares to speech/debate may depend on your geography/region. National awards are always prestigious, and while speech/debate national awards have been around longer than MUN, I don’t think they are viewed all that differently. However, at the state level, MUN may not draw as much attention in some states as it does in others, and the elite schools might view these differently.

Practically, I think you have to have won the top awards by your junior year for it to make a big difference in your college applications.