What kind of student writing is required in the application?
The Young Scholars Program application requires students to respond to three short answer prompts each limited to 200 words in length, and one essay prompt limited to 350 words in length. These responses must be the student’s own writing. The prompts are as follows:
- What’s the most interesting question you’ve ever asked yourself? How have you tried to find the answer? Tell us about your journey to learn more about this question and what you’ve discovered so far.
- Think about someone in your life who makes your community better – it could be a teacher, neighbor, family member, or friend. What have they taught you about making a difference? How has this inspired you?
- If you could create a new class or after-school club that doesn’t exist at your school yet, what would it be? Why do you think other students would want to join, and what would everyone learn together?
Please choose one of the prompts below and respond. Your essay should help the scholarship selection committee get to know you and your current interests better.
Your response is limited to 350 words.
Essay Topics
- Imagine you get to be ‘Principal for a Day’ at your dream school. What would make this school special? Think about everything – from what students would learn, to how they would learn it, to how everyone would treat each other. Tell us about your ideas and why you think they would help students love learning.
- Share a story about a time when you helped solve a problem – big or small. What did you learn from this experience? How did it change how you think about making things better in your world?