KHS Sterling Scholar - Candidate Selection

KHS Sterling Scholar

Complete the online application. Include all of your application responses in a printable resume and submit to yatesj@kane.k12.ut.us.

A Sterling Scholar panel will choose the most qualified candidate.

Performances may be required for

Dance, Music, and

Speech & Drama categories.

Judging Criteria

The general measurement will be defined and applied in this manner:

Scholarship (20 points):A nominee’s overall GPA, difficulty of class schedule, standardized test scores such as ACT and SAT, class ranking and similar scholarship items attained during high school will be used to establish points for Scholarship.

· ACT score of 17 or above (if a student does not have a 17 or above they will not be considered for the Sterling Scholar program)

Category Scholarship (20 points) Emphasis is placed on the nominee’s ability and talent in their specific category. While judges seek evidence of growth and service in all activities, the nominee’s talent and aptitude within their category will receive particular emphasis in this judging phase.

Leadership (20 points) The qualities of leadership in Utah public high schools can be measured in part by the responsibilities placed on a nominee by his/her teachers and fellow nominees. However, evidence of positive influence with fellow nominees also shall be considered an indication of leadership.

Community Service/Citizenship (20 points) Each Sterling Scholar nominee should exhibit a record of high standards of citizenship throughout his/her high school years. Service to school, community or other organizations will be considered. The nominee’s attitude toward the acceptance of responsibility in contribution roles, as well as seeking out service opportunities will be especially important. Evidence of a long-term commitment to service will also receive particular attention.

Interview (20 points) During the interview judges will evaluate the nominee’s ability to answer questions pertaining to their category. Body language, technical knowledge, communication skills, and plans for continued education in the category will all be included in the Interview point assessment.

After the candidate is selected -- How to build a portfolio

When a nominee has been entered into the system by the coordinator, he/she will receive an email with their login information along with a temporary password (their individual email address is their unique User ID). The first portion of their portfolio contains their “Personal Information”, school transcripts and college entrance exam scores which have been entered by the school’s Sterling Scholar Coordinator.

Each nominee will begin preparing their portfolio with the upload of their “Letter of Recommendation”. For the remainder of your portfolio the acceptable file formats are .PDF, .TXT, .RTF, .JPG, .TIF, WAV, WMA, .MP4, .ACC, .MP3 and .MPG. External links to YouTube, Vimeo or other video sharing sites are the preferred path for videos. The nominee will have an opportunity to upload a supporting document within each section and more at the end of the portfolio.

Letter of Recommendation: A letter of recommendation by any teacher/instructor should include the teacher’s assessment of the individual with specific reasons for the recommendation plus examples of evidence as to why “This is an outstanding nominee,” etc.

Category Scholarship Activities: The nominee will have the opportunity to list six different Category Scholarship Activities using 20 words or less.

Category Scholarship Activity Description: Choosing one of the above listed activities, the nominee will write in detail about that activity (in 500 words or less). They will also be able to upload a supporting document (e.g., a pdf of the actual award, a picture of nominee receiving award, or an external link to a video of the activity itself highlighting the nominee’s participation).

Leadership Activities and Community Service/Citizenship: The previous two sections will be duplicated for these two section list/essay requirements.

Unique Qualities (list & essay): Please describe two or three unique things about yourself while relating them to your competition category. The nominee should take this opportunity to relate the challenges they have had to overcome and describe any distinctive experiences they may have had and how they affected them.

Life Enrichment (essay): How do you think your involvement in this category will enrich your life?

Watch this video to learn how to build your portfolio.

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