Before I started my York Award application, I thought I needed better experiences. I was wrong. What I actually needed was a better way of explaining the experiences I already had.
When you are applying, it’s easy to think the student who founded three societies or completed five internships automatically has the strongest application. After completing the process, I realised that’s not what the York Award is assessing. The York Award challenged me to think beyond simply listing my achievements. It encouraged me to recognise the skills I’d developed, the impact I’d made and how my experiences had shaped the person I wanted to become. Looking back, that reflection was one of the most valuable parts of the process.
That sounds obvious, but it completely changed how I approached writing.
Stop writing like you are describing your CV
One of the biggest mistakes I made in my first draft was treating every answer like another CV bullet point.
Organised event.
Led project.
Volunteered.
None of that tells the reader anything. The strongest submissions don’t simply list activities—they tell a story.
Every paragraph should answer three questions:
- Why did this matter?
- What did you actually do?
- What changed because you were involved?
When I rewrote my application with those questions in mind, my answers became much stronger.
For example, I stopped writing that I had “organised events” and instead explained how I worked with different stakeholders, secured funding, increased participation and removed financial barriers so more students could get involved. That’s impact! Throughout my application, I focused on demonstrating impact rather than describing responsibilities.
Reflection isn’t the last step – it’s something you should do all year
This is probably the advice I wish I’d received in 1st year. Don’t wait until the York Award opens before thinking about reflection. You’ll forget everything.
Seriously.
I keep almost everything on LinkedIn – not because I’m trying to become an influencer, but because it’s become my university diary.
Every conference.
Every volunteering project.
Every leadership role.
Every event I organised.
Every time I learnt something new.
When I sat down to complete the York Award, I wasn’t trying to remember three years of university. I simply looked back through my LinkedIn posts. It also made updating my CV ridiculously easy because half the work had already been done.
Future you will always appreciate having evidence of what present you achieved!
Numbers tell stories
One thing I noticed while writing my application was that numbers make your impact real.
Don’t say you mentored students. Say you mentored 15 first-year students.
Don’t say you organised events. Explain how many students attended, how much funding you raised or how many volunteers you coordinated.
When I received feedback after my application, one of the comments that stood out was that the panel appreciated how I had quantified the scale of my leadership.
I’d never realised something so simple could make such a difference!
Don’t ignore the things that felt “normal”
Looking back, I nearly left out some of the experiences that eventually became my strongest examples.
Why? Because I’d done them for so long that they didn’t feel impressive anymore. If you’ve spent months mentoring, volunteering or representing students, those experiences become part of your routine. But they aren’t routine.
They’re exactly the kind of sustained commitment that demonstrates leadership and personal development. Sometimes the things you are most likely to overlook are the things that say the most about you!
The biggest lesson I learned
A few weeks after submitting my York Award, I received an email saying I had been selected as one of just three graduating students to receive the Chancellor’s Leadership Prize.
Of course I was incredibly proud. But looking back, I don’t think that happened because I suddenly became a better leader while writing my application. I think it happened because, for the first time, I learnt how to articulate everything I had already been doing.
The York Award didn’t change my experiences. It changed how I understood them!
If you’re considering applying, I would encourage you to do it. Even if you think you haven’t done enough, take the time to reflect; you might be surprised by just how much you have accomplished and the impact you have had along the way.
Common mistakes I would avoid
If I could give future applicants a few tips, they would be:
- Start your application early so you have time to reflect.
- Focus on quality rather than trying to include every activity you’ve ever done.
- Show your personal contribution, not just what the team achieved.
- Use specific examples to demonstrate your impact.
- Don’t underestimate volunteering and extracurricular experiences – they often showcase your greatest growth.
Most importantly, don’t sell yourself short. Experiences that seem ordinary to you may demonstrate exactly the qualities employers are looking for.
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