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How to Answer Cornell Engineering's Award Question

The award or achievement that meant the most to you, and why.

100 wordsDuffield College of Engineering only · RequiredShort answer2026-27
Cornell University's wording, checked October 26, 2026
“What is one award you have received or achievement you have attained that has meant the most to you? Please briefly describe its importance to you.”

How to approach it

  1. 1Choose by meaning, not size; explain the meaning.
  2. 2An achievement can be private: a skill finally mastered, a problem solved, a goal met after a setback.
  3. 3If it is already in your honors list, use these words for the story the list cannot tell.

A structure that works

One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.

  1. 1Name the award or achievement plainly.
  2. 2What it took: the obstacle or the stretch of work behind it.
  3. 3Why it means the most: what it proved to you or changed.

Mistakes to avoid

  • The biggest prize with no reflection.
  • Listing several awards when the question asks for one.

The checklist our grader uses for this question

When you check your Cornell answers, this answer is read against these 4 areas. Each comes back Met, Partly or Missing with a quote from your draft as evidence, and together with the 100 words limit they set its readiness verdict.

AreaWhat a reader looks for
Answers the questionThe opening sentences answer what was asked, plainly, before background or a hook; every part of a multi-part question is answered.
SpecificIt uses a concrete name, detail or image instead of a general statement.
Something newIt shows a side of the applicant that the rest of the application probably does not.
Cornell's askIt does every part of what Cornell's question asks, in the college's own terms.

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Questions

How long is Cornell's "Engineering: an award or achievement" essay?

Up to 100 words.

Is it required?

Duffield College of Engineering only · Required. Cornell's full set of questions is on the Cornell supplemental essays page.

Can I reuse an essay from another college for this prompt?

You can start from material you have, but rewrite it for Cornell's exact wording: answer every part of this question, and cut what it does not ask for.

Can Statementory write or improve my answer?

We never write or rewrite it: colleges ask you to affirm your essays are your own work. Our checker reviews it against the checklist on this page, quotes your own words, and asks the questions only you can answer.

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