Hi! I’m a rising junior (class of 2027) and have won a total of three regional scholastic Art and writing awards in poetry. I won an honorable mention back in freshman year, and a silver key and gold key this past year as a sophomore. I’m hearing different things about how good/impactful a gold key can be. Some are saying that this is a really special award that looks EXTREMELY good on college apps, but I know people saying it’s not that special unless you get one for the national level, in which only about 3000 works win across America out of the 310000 entered. I read online that only the top 5-7% of kids per region (I live in Texas, so I’m assuming that’s the American South) actually win a gold key. Do my three awards actually carry any weight, or are they just bogus?
If you are passionate about creating art and love to write, than the awards are wonderful. External validation from judges who can evaluate your work with a professional eye is so nice.
Why does it matter whether or not they will impress anyone else?
Good for you for demonstrating your talents! If you enjoy creating, keep doing it!!!
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So the award is simply an acknowledgement of your activity and excellence - which is what’s important- at schools that care about that.
Many don’t.
So it will dependent on your list and that school’s priorities.
Do what you love.
Good luck.