Ronald Tisdale
2006 MVS Runner Up
The question is: What makes you different from the millions of other students that need money for college? Why are you a particularly excellent student? What makes you a more effective leader than most? How much would this tuition money really help you and your family?
Samson Lim
2006 MVS Runner Up
Few other scholarship applications allow you to showcase examples of your leadership, service, and achievement. Maximize this to paint a well-rounded picture of yourself.
Steven Truong
2008 MVS Runner Up
My advice is to not sell yourself short. They want to see that you are well-rounded in and out of school. Do not be afraid to apply, even if you do not think you stack up well with others.
Joanna Lim
2008 MVS Runner Up
The time and dedication to your community and your activities are not only beneficial to your community, but can be beneficial in supporting your education as well. So don't be afraid to share about yourself and your story.
For students who have shown great initiative in their communities and schools, the Elks National Foundation has a scholarship competition that seeks young leaders in the country. The Most Valuable Student (MVS) Scholarship is funded by the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks of the USA. The application process includes competitions on local, district, state, and national levels. To be considered for a 2012 MVS Scholarship, applicants must:
Demonstrate financial need, leadership, and scholarship
Be high school seniors who are U.S. citizens
Submit a completed application with exhibits of leadership and scholarship
For a breakdown of the awards available, please consult this chart from the MVS website:
In previous years, the MVS site provided a scoring breakdown that highlights how they score scholarship, leadership, and financial need. Please note that this chart is from 2006 and is no longer available on the MVS page. As such, Scholarship Junkies is providing the chart only as a reference for how your application may be judged.
2006 MVS scoring breakdown reference. Please note that this chart is from 2006 and is no longer available on the MVS page.
We believe a bit of information from previous years can be helpful, but for the latest information, you can also read up on the FAQ’s on their website.
The application includes reporting your ACT/SAT scores, official transcript, counselor report, leadership and scholarship exhibits, parental financial information, and a 500 word essay. The application has sections that include employment, community service, honors and awards, leadership, and extracurricular activities. The application is now available and due on December 2, 2011.
Scholarship Junkies' Tips:
Find places to tell your personal story. The essay itself seeks to understand your leadership and community involvement among other things. While you certainly want to describe what you did, try to find ways to make this interesting and weave in why you did these things. It’s not enough just to state what you did; you should include your motivation and goals in doing these things. Check out our essay example for how to turn seemingly regular actions into more personal reflections.
If you have overcome any adversity or want the judges to know a significant detail about you, find somewhere to fit it into your application if it doesn’t fit in your 500-word essay. Our advice: put it in your parent's financial statement section where you have 200 words to explain extenuating circumstances. If you've overcome a hardship that influenced your family, ask your parents to fit it in. Work on it together so you can tell your story effectively.
Neatness counts. Organize your folder neatly, filling in your application legibly. Make sure all contents are presentable and in order. Follow the instructions, so don’t staple or paperclip your application.
The application does not officially ask for recommendations, but you could potentially include a few letters as exhibits of your leadership and scholarship. If you do include letters of recommendation, we would recommend not including more than three. The FAQ’s do not state explicitly whether you can or cannot include letters of recommendation, but they leave the door open under their definition of an “exhibit.” Strong letters take time, so give your teacher, counselor, coach, etc. (no family members) at least four weeks to write your letter and remember to fill out a Personal Data Form.
Edit and revise your essay. When answering the question, remember to look over our articles on how to effectively share your story.
Paint a well-rounded picture of yourself. The MVS Scholarship is seeking students who are well-rounded and involved in different facets of education. If you started a club, make sure to mention it when you fill out the application. Prioritize your honors and awards by importance and list the larger achievements at the top.
Check deadlines for local Elks Lodges. Some local lodges will establish their own deadline ahead of the national deadline. Be sure to submit your application on time.
One more note on exhibits: consider anything from award certificates to fliers you created for clubs to represent leadership and scholarship. If you’re having trouble coming up with 10 exhibits, don’t forget special recognitions such as National Honor Roll or Student of the Month awards. When you have finished, place all the contents in a three-ring folder and submit it to your local Elks chapter. Keep checking your mail to monitor your progress. The process starts at a local level, so the higher up your application makes it, the more scholarship funding you could win. As always, contact us if you have questions.
