The Resolve to Evolve Scholarship

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The Resolve to Evolve Scholarship is about more than just making resolutions — it’s about creating change and furthering our evolution as individuals and a society. We must resolve to proactively and progressively confront challenges, however daunting. The "R2E" essay scholarship is an opportunity to move beyond finger-pointing and offer constructive criticism and workable solutions for problems facing an administration or an organization.

Part I

Entry must be a response of no more than 5,000 characters to one of the following two-part questions:

Question #1

It wasn't too long ago that the majority of Americans agreed that one had to pursue a college degree in order to succeed in the workforce. Unfortunately for millennials, the rate of success after obtaining said degree is no longer so intrinsically tied: According to multiple reports, millions of college graduates suffer a mismatch between education and employment and hold jobs that don’t require costly degrees. Do you think that a college degree is necessary for gainful employment and upward mobility? What should college institutions be doing to ensure success in the workforce after college?

Question #2

Today's high school students have to face some serious obstacles when applying to college. With ballooning numbers of applications and fierce competition, educators and college counselors have long sung the praises of AP courses to stand out but for those students looking for an even bigger leg up on the competition, some high schools are allowing students to skip lunch in order to take additional classes. If this was an option at your school, would you opt out of lunch to fit in an extra class? In your opinion, what should students do to set themselves apart from the deep pool of applicants when perfect GPAs and long lists of extracurricular activities aren’t enough? How should colleges restructure their admissions processes to ensure the most deserving students gain entry?

Only original, unpublished essays will be accepted. Any writing found to be anything other than an original work of the applicant will be disqualified.

Part II

Please submit a response of no more than 1,200 characters that addresses why attending college is important and outlines the applicant’s academic and career goals. Please also include an answer to the following question:

What do you feel will be your biggest obstacle in attending college and how do you think obtaining a college degree will help you reach your goals?

Part III (for finalists only)

If selected as a finalist, applicant must provide proof of enrollment (i.e., official/unofficial transcripts, printouts of courses or certificate of enrollment/admittance from high school) as well as a letter of reference that specifically addresses the applicant’s potential and provides support for receipt of scholarship assistance. This letter cannot be from a relative (ask a teacher, employer, supervisor or coach) and we recommend securing all documents as soon as possible; this will expedite the award process if applicant is selected as a finalist.

Eligibility

The Resolve to Evolve Essay Scholarship is open to all United States citizens who are registered users of Scholarships.com, will be enrolled in high school during the 2014-2015 academic year and will be between the ages 13 and 19 at the time the scholarship is awarded.

Entries will be accepted only within the application dates and are limited to one per person. Entries do not carry over to subsequent contests but applicants are welcome to submit future entries if their essay is not chosen. Once an applicant has won, they are no longer eligible for future Scholarships.com-sponsored scholarships. All submissions from past winners will be automatically disqualified and discarded. Once submitted, all entries become the property of the Scholarships.com.

Awards

The applicant who submits the best overall essay will receive a $2,000 scholarship. One (1) winner will also be selected from each grade level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) and will receive a $1,000 scholarship each.

Applicants may begin submitting their materials on July 15, 2014. The deadline for entries is September 15, 2014. Entries submitted before July 15th or after September 15th will be disqualified. Finalists will be notified in mid-October for additional materials. Winners will be notified in early November, announced in mid-November and awarded in early December.

Submission Method

All essays must be entered online through the submission form on Scholarships.com. Copy the text of essay from its original document and paste it into the designated boxes of the online submission form. Part One must consist of no more than 5,000 characters (including spaces and punctuation) and Part Two should be no more than 1,200 characters (including spaces and punctuation). Spelling and grammar do count; please provide the necessary checks prior to submission.

View past winners of the Scholarships.com Resolve to Evolve Essay Scholarship.

For official rules, please click here.