I just received a letter in the mail from the Illinois Student Assistance commission and was named an Illinois State Scholar. I already sent an email to my top choice colleges to notify them about this award, but I am not sure how much it will matter in the admissions process. The letter itself states that “this is an extremely prestigious honor” but I don’t know.
I didn’t actually scan and attach the letter and award certificate in the email, should I do this and send out another email? My dad keeps on nagging me about it but I don’t know if this will annoy the admissions office.
In my Ds high school, out of a class of 520, 150 were designated as state scholars (nearly 30%) so this is not some extraordinary award. It won’t matter in the least bit if you send it in or not. Sorry to burst your bubble on this.
Program Description
The State Scholar Program recognizes students attending approved high schools (typically, Illinois public high schools; see the Approved High Schools section on this page for further details) for outstanding academic achievement. State scholar designation provides honorary recognition with no monetary award. Approximately the top ten percent of graduates from approved high schools are announced as State Scholars each year.
Eligibility
To be considered for State Scholar eligibility, you must:
Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen
Be a resident of Illinois
Attend an approved high school
Take the ACT or SAT between September 1 and June 30 (by the end of the third semester before high school graduation)
Perform in the top one-half of your high school class at the end of the third semester prior to graduation, and/or score in the 95th percentile on the ACT or SAT
Graduate from high school during the academic year in which you were selected as a State Scholar
For the 2014-15 Academic Year
(last updated December 2, 2014):
During November 2014, qualified Illinois high school students were designated as 2015-16 State Scholars. Congratulatory letters from ISAC have been mailed to Scholars, and a Certificate of Achievement for each Scholar has been mailed to high schools. Typically, the Certificates are presented to Scholars during a high school honors ceremony, but they may be distributed based on the preferences of each high school.
A listing of all 2015-16 State Scholars - displayed alphabetically by high school, within each school’s county - is accessible via the “State Scholar Announcements” option that is located in the right margin of this page.
I figured that out as well, but my dad just doesn’t seem to understand. He’s like “just send it. It can’t hurt.”
Would it at least demonstrate some interest in the colleges I’m applying to if I do go ahead and send it? (which I will because, once again, my dad keeps nagging me about it)
If he is bothering you about it, then send the letter. It may not help, but it won’t hurt. You can also add a note letting the admission officer know that you are very interested in the school. This way if you don’t get into a school he can’t say “if you only sent that letter…”. For what its worth, it also shows me that he is very proud of your being named a state scholar and thinks it is a big deal.