Harvard Prize Book Award?

Bartleby007
Mon, 04 Jun 2012 14:12:26 +0000

And I see both of your arguments. Yes, in my region of the country, the HPB award is not awarded individually at a recipient’s school, but instead it is awarded at a group setting with all the winners in the area present, and it is considered a big regional deal since that it is how it is presented. Principals, parents, and a number of Harvard alumni are present. And yes, the winners have been selected by the individual schools, so in that sense it is definitely a school award. But the fact that a limited number of students receive the award in this region and that it is not presented in an individual school setting, gives the recipient justification for classifying it as a “Regional Award” on his or Common App. And the fact that my student was not penalized for labeling it as such validates the classification. However, I grant you this part of your argument: Not every student should be so quick to classify the HPB as a “Regional Award.” Cool?



So much consternation over a fairly run-of-the-mill academic award…

When I was conducting interviews (a few years ago), I’d see the Harvard Book Prize/Award listed on the student’s app and think: “This just means that: (1) the student is one of the top academic performers at his/her school, (2) his/her high school has a strong academic reputation, and (3) a chapter of the Harvard Alumni Assoc. exists in the region.” In general, active chapters of the Harvard Alumni Assoc. have a presence in major metropolitan areas.

As others have mentioned, it’s not a big deal at all. The OP can choose to list it however he wants on the Common App. Officers on the Harvard Admissions Committee know how selection for the award (and others like it) is carried out. I would think that admissions officers at other colleges would have this knowledge as well.