College Board National Recognition Program: Awards, Eligibility, and What Colleges Think
By Rona Aydin
What Is the National Recognition Program?
It is an awards program run by College Board through BigFuture, its college planning site. College Board calls it an official academic award and says it helps students stand out on college and scholarship applications.
The program is for sophomores and juniors. It is a recognition and not a scholarship: the College Board pages read for this guide describe an award designation and a certificate that students can download, and they name no payment to the student.
The program changed in 2025. The Hechinger Report reported in May 2025 that College Board ended its awards for high-performing Black and Latino students and added an award for students who score in the top 10% of their own high school.
What Are the Three Awards?
Each award compares a student with a different group of test takers. A student can claim one or more of them.
| Award | Group the student is compared with |
|---|---|
| School Recognition Award | PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 test takers in the student’s own high school |
| First-Generation Recognition Award | First-generation test takers in the student’s state |
| Rural and Small-Town Recognition Award | Rural and small town test takers in the student’s state |
The School Recognition Award is the one open to every student, whatever the family background or location. It depends on how a student scores against classmates, so the score needed differs from one high school to the next.
Who Is Eligible for the National Recognition Program?
A student must meet the GPA requirement and one of two academic routes.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Grade | 10th or 11th grade |
| GPA | Cumulative GPA of B+, which College Board gives as at least 3.3 or 87% to 89%, by the time of submission |
| Test route | A score in the top 10% of PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 test takers in the comparison group |
| AP route | A score of 3 or higher on two or more distinct AP Exams taken in 8th, 9th, or 10th grade |
| Tests that count | The PSAT/NMSQT taken in 10th or 11th grade, and the PSAT 10 taken in 10th grade |
The AP route matters for strong students at competitive schools. A sophomore who misses the top 10% of PSAT scores at a high-scoring school can still qualify with two AP scores of 3 or higher by the end of 10th grade. Our guides to the PSAT 10 and PSAT scores explain the two tests.
How Does a Student Claim the Award?
The award is not sent automatically. College Board says that students can claim one or more award designations, and that the GPA must be met by the time of submission. The claim is made on BigFuture during a submission window.
The window for 2026 has closed. College Board announced the 2026 awards in June, and certificates could be downloaded from BigFuture beginning June 18. The dates for 2027 had not been posted when this guide was written, so a sophomore or junior should watch for the invitation from BigFuture during the school year.
There is one more step for students who want colleges to see the award during recruitment. College Board says colleges use the awards to identify and contact students who have opted in to its Student Search Service.
How Many Students Receive It?
A large number. College Board reported on June 23, 2026 that more than 300,000 students received over 350,000 awards that year, the highest figures to date. The second figure is higher because one student can hold more than one award.
Oriel Admissions treats that scale as the most useful fact for a family judging the award. An honor shared by more than 300,000 sophomores and juniors a year confirms solid performance. It does not single a student out.
Do Colleges Care About the National Recognition Program?
College Board says that colleges and universities nationwide are eager to recruit awardees, and that statement is accurate for the many colleges that use test results to find applicants. Recruitment mail is not the same as an advantage in admission.
Oriel Admissions tells families that admissions readers at the most selective colleges give the award little weight. The School Recognition Award says that a student scored in the top tenth of the school on the PSAT and has a B+ average. The transcript and the test scores already show that, and usually show more.
The standard those colleges apply is much higher. For Ivy League admission, a student needs nearly all As in the hardest classes the school offers. An award with a B+ floor does not speak to that standard.
How Is It Different From National Merit?
The two programs use the same test and measure different things. National Merit uses only the PSAT/NMSQT taken in 11th grade, ranks students by Selection Index against a cutoff for their state, and leads to scholarships. The College Board program includes sophomores, compares a student with the school or with a group inside the state, and awards a certificate.
National Merit recognition is harder to earn and carries more weight. Our guides to National Merit Semifinalist cutoffs and Commended Scholar status give the numbers. A student can hold both kinds of recognition.
Should a Student List It on the Common App?
Yes, when there is room. Oriel Admissions advises claiming the award, because it costs nothing, and listing it in the honors section below any honor that involved real selection.
A student with five stronger honors can leave it off without loss. A sophomore or junior with an empty honors section should include it. Our guide to the Common App honors section shows how to order honors and how to describe each one.
Frequently Asked Questions About the National Recognition Program
It is an awards program for 10th and 11th graders based on PSAT or AP results. It has three awards and gives a certificate, not a scholarship.
A cumulative GPA of B+, which College Board gives as at least 3.3 or 87% to 89%.
There is no fixed score. A student must be in the top 10% of PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 test takers in the comparison group, such as the students at the same high school.
Yes. A score of 3 or higher on two or more distinct AP Exams taken in 8th, 9th, or 10th grade is an alternative to the PSAT route.
No. Eligible students claim it on BigFuture during a submission window.
College Board reported that more than 300,000 students received over 350,000 awards in 2026.
No. National Merit uses the 11th grade PSAT/NMSQT and state cutoffs and leads to scholarships. The two programs are separate.
Oriel Admissions advises listing it when the honors section has room, below honors that involved real selection.
Sources: College Board Newsroom: 2026 award recipients announcement, BigFuture: program page for educators, The Hechinger Report: College Board changes to the awards, May 2025
About Oriel Admissions
Oriel Admissions is a Princeton-based college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy. Our team brings deep expertise across every dimension of the application, and our distinctive 360 approach develops strategy, positioning, activities, essays, and interviews as one coherent whole. To discuss your family’s admissions strategy, schedule a consultation.
