Tiffany Taylor
2008 National Scholar
Adversity can come through in many different experiences. Tie in your adversity to how you are trying to make the world a better place. In addition, editing is the key to great writing! The more drafts, the better.
Agazit Tassaw
2010 National Scholar
Be as brutally honest as you can about your life. Make everything that you say count. Write as though the scholarship would be lucky to have you rather than you begging them to select you.
Donnie Clark
2006 National Scholar
Own your story and embrace your past.
It can help light the way to your future.
Sam Lim
2006 National Scholar
If you've ever felt like you've had to overcome
hardship(s) in your life, apply for the Horatio Alger Scholarship and look for ways to share your story
as a means to inspire others.
Danyel Hacker
2007 National Scholar
Be honest and personal --
there is power behind your story.
Jessica Reed
2006 National Scholar
Take what you know and put a spin on it.
2006 Horatio Alger National Scholar
Sam Lim poses for a photo with Oprah
at the 2006 Horatio Alger National Scholars Conference.
If you’ve got a GPA over 2.0, if you want to attend college and get a degree, if you’ve overcome tremendous hardship and adversity in your life, there is a scholarship for you. The Horatio Alger Association seeks to assist "high school students who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives [and] have a commitment to use their experiences and college degrees in service to others."
Each year, about 100 National Scholars receive $20,000 scholarships to pursue an undergraduate education. The criteria for the Horatio Alger National Scholars Program include:
demonstrated integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity
strength of character
financial need
a good academic record
commitment to pursue a college education;
a desire to contribute to society
In addition to the National Scholars Program, the Horatio Alger Association offers scholarships for every state in the US.
The application is available at www.horatioalger.org and is due on October 30, 2011. Students selected as National Scholars also receive an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, DC, to meet with other Scholars and Horatio Alger Association Members.
Eligibility Rules:
enrollment full time as a high school senior, progressing normally toward graduation in the Spring/Summer 2012, with plans to enter college no later than the fall following graduation;
a strong commitment to pursuing and completing a bachelor's degree at an accredited institution located in the United States (students may start their studies at a two-year institution and then transfer to a four-year institution. Idaho, Louisiana, and Montana state scholarship recipients must pursue and complete a degree at specific colleges and universities. Please see the individual program description for those requirements);
critical financial need ($50,000 or less adjusted gross income per family is preferred, if higher explanation must be provided);
involvement in co-curricular and community activities;
demonstrated integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity;
a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0;
United States Citizenship.
The Horatio Alger National Scholars Program is one of the most prestigious scholarship in the country, and its deadline is coming up very quickly. Start working on the essays now so you don't have to cram later. As always, if you have any specific questions regarding this or any other scholarship information, feel free to send us an email via the For Students page, post it on our Facebook page, or tweet it to our Twitter account.
Scholarship Junkies’ Tips:
Use unique and personal examples — The Horatio Alger National Scholarship is only given to 100 high school seniors out of tens of thousands of students. In order to make your story stand out, be poignant when telling your story. You can enhance your examples by using buzzwords and key phrases found on the Horatio Alger website and materials like the American Dream, Opportunity in America, and success through hard work and perseverance, etc. By incorporating some of these ideas into your essay, you will be appealing to the judges as well as embodying the principles of the organization.
Take everything one step further by taking one step back — Use the essays to shape your overall theme and character that you want to demonstrate to the judges. When answering essay questions, instead of focusing on the "end product" (i.e. what you want to do or what you've accomplished), focus on what drives you to accomplish your achievements. If you can focus on the "process" first, you will have a more powerful essay that describes your life story and the motivation behind your drive. In other words, think about what motivates you to do the things you do, and who or what inspires you to achieve. By "taking a step back" and looking at the bigger picture, you may be better able to describe the other things in the rest of your application.
Write about a Horatio Alger member that best suits you, your personality, and the theme you are trying to show — Instead of choosing members that may seem famous and popular to everyone, see if you can find someone that fits more with your interests. It will be easier to tie the essay together and give your application a stronger perception. You may think that you've got the perfect story of relating to a member that many people write about, but keep in mind that with so many people writing about them your essay better be pretty spectacular. It may be better to take your chances with writing about a lesser-known member. One method of choosing which member to write about is to narrow down your options to just the members in your home state. Next, read through them and see if there are any that fit best with your story. Try to avoid being too cliché and choosing a member that many also choose.
Work with previous National Scholars and other resources — That’s why Scholarship Junkies exists! We’ve got a network that includes a handful of Horatio Alger National Scholars. Give yourself enough time to have people read your essay(s) and provide comments, so you can revise it. Have your friends, teachers, and counselors read through your essay too, so you can submit your best work possible.
Make the most of the application — Compared to other scholarships, the Horatio Alger application form and requirements for this scholarship are not all that overwhelming. You should use any opportunities to include all parts of your story so that it does the best job of portraying who you are as an individual.
Photo Credits | Sam Lim
