Whether or not to include declined fellowship in CV

Question

Problem

I am now applying for a Ph.D. program in United States.

I know a similar question has been answered here. But my situation is a bit different. Here is the difference

• I managed to get a postgraduate recommendation in my home country. This means I could get enrolled in graduate program without any examination. This examination is very selective. Many people need to do it more than one time to get admitted. Moreover, this postgraduate recommendation opportunity is scarce, less than 10% of students in decent institutions could get this.
• Accompanied with this recommendation, I am automatically entitled to a full scholarship worth of 5000 dollars, which is a considerable amount in my home country.

I am aware of the issues listed in already answered question. But could my case be anything different?

Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

List it -- your CV should list all honors that would help convince others that you really are as good as you claim to be. Having gotten a fellowship is such an honor -- whether or not you actually take it or not is irrelevant for your purpose.