MWM Scholarship Application Guidelines,
2013/2014
By Susan Wenger,
MWM Scholarship Committee Chairman
For 2014, MWM Scholarships will be available for Metropolitan Washington Mensa members and their children and grandchildren.
Note that there are two types of awards:
1. College/Technical/Trade School Scholarships [C/T/TS Scholarships] The deadline to apply for these is 12/31/13.
2. Scholarships for younger students attending a gifted, talented or enrichment program [G/T/E Program]
There is no deadline for G/T/E, but apply early, while funds are still available.
All applicants must be a current member of MWM, or the child or grandchild of a current MWM member, or a former MWM youth member residing at an out-of-area school. The words "child" and "grandchild" include stepchildren and legally adopted children.
Only one application per year is allowed per student in this award competition.
Amounts of awards will vary depending on the quality and number of applications, and will be dependent on funds available.
1. C/T/TS Scholarships awards will be for up to $1,000.
2. Full time G/T/E Program awards, such as but not limited to CTY, SEP, and TIP, will be for up to $250.
3. Awards for enrichment programs will be for lesser amounts, starting at $25. It is anticipated that awards will not cover the full cost of any programs.
Checks will be payable to the institution and the individual, and may only be cashed by the institution. Applicants do not need to have been accepted by the institution at the time they apply for a scholarship, but winners’ checks will not be distributed until we receive proof of school acceptance and enrollment.
C/T/TS Scholarships:
Winners of C/T/TS Scholarships must have proof of enrollment in a regionally accredited U.S. institution for the 2014-15 academic year, or licensed trade school before receiving their award.
C/T/TS Scholarship winners will be judged on the basis of an essay. Essays must be the applicants' original work and no more than 550 words in length. Essays submitted to other competitions may be re-used for this competition. Essays will be truncated to the 550 word limit.
Emphasis in judging will be placed on a goal statement that includes specific information on experience or steps taken toward the goal, persuasiveness (e.g., how your past achievements/experiences and your future planning increase the probability of reaching your goal), and why you think that you will succeed. Points will also be allocated on the basics: organization, grammar, spelling and punctuation. Awards will be on the basis of merit.
All applications must include a signed statement from the applicant certifying that the information and essays are their own work and that they have read these rules and guidelines. If the application is submitted electronically, the certification will be considered to have been digitally signed. Applicants who provide a valid email address will receive confirmation of their applications via email.
Deadlines:
C/T/TS Scholarship essays must be submitted by email to: scholarships@mwm.us.mensa.org (preferred) or mailed to Susan Wenger, 9305 Bathgate Court, Montgomery Village, MD 20886. The deadline for emailed essays is 11:59 PM ET, December 31.2013. Mailed or shipped essays must be postmarked by December 24, 2013.
All C/T/TS Scholarship essays will be evaluated by a team of volunteers who will be looking ONLY at the essay, with no identifying information. Therefore, each applicant should provide his/her name, address, and other identifying information on a separate document. Mailed applications should include the applicant’s name, address, and eligibility (membership number or parent’s and/or grandparent’s name and Mensa membership number) on one page, and the essay on a separate page. Emailed essays should be sent as an attachment to a message containing the applicant’s information. It is very important that applicants' names, addresses and other identifying information such as membership number are not included in their essays.
All essays will be judged anonymously. The judges do not know who has entered the competition, and will read each essay with no identification attached to or written on it. If you know any of the scholarship judges, do not contact them about the competition, or your application may be disqualified. Instead, questions regarding the competition should be directed to: scholarships@mwm.us.mensa.org.
Since your scholarship application will be judged solely on the basis of your essay, it is important that your essay accurately and fully describe your life, academic, career and/or vocational goals and how you plan to achieve them, all within the 550 word limit.
G/T/E Program Awards:
G/T/E Program applications will be in the form of a letter of request from the student, written by the student, identifying the gifted/talented program or enrichment program and the student's goal, or reason the student wants to be in the program. They may be submitted by email to: scholarships@mwm.us.mensa.org (preferred) or mailed to Susan Wenger, 9305 Bathgate Court, Montgomery Village, MD 20886.
Deadlines:
G/T/E Program award applications will not have a deadline, but will be limited by funds available, so students are encouraged to apply as early as they are able.
Winners of G/T/E Program awards must demonstrate enrollment in a gifted/talented program or an academic enrichment program. After completing your course, a brief letter about your experience, submitted to be published in CapM, would be appreciated.
Please contact scholarships@mwm.us.mensa.org if you are unsure of the status of your application, or if you have any questions.
NOTE: This scholarship program is separate from Mensa’s MERF program. Students are allowed to apply for both kinds of scholarships, separately. Applications to MERF or to MWM will not automatically be forwarded to the other.