Tips and tricks for applying to the Summit Scholarship
It’s hard to not get excited about the thought of a free trip. Yet to write a Summit Scholarship application that stands out, we encourage you to go a step beyond expressing your enthusiasm about the idea of getting to climb Kilimanjaro, or Mount Baker, or Kosciuszko, free of charge. When we review Summit Scholarship applications, we look for individuals who show alignment with the mission of the Summit Scholarship Foundation. We think about the transformative potential that an expedition could have for the scholarship recipient. And, last but not least, we look for candidates with a credible financial need.
Selecting Summit Scholarship recipients is an imperfect art; we (i.e. members of the Board of the Summit Scholarship Foundation) do all that we can to minimize biases and make the process fair - which is why we initially review all applications blind, with names and demographic identifiers removed. That said, we know that each year there are many more qualified applicants than there are available scholarships.
As such, here’s what you can do to make your application as strong as possible:
Read about the AWE Summit Scholarship Foundation; learn about the mission and motivation behind the Summit Scholarship program. Share with us how that mission connects back to your own life and experiences.
Don’t randomly apply to as many expeditions as possible; this will not increase your odds of receiving a scholarship. Instead, research the different available scholarships and choose the one (or two, or three) that are truly sparking your imagination. The Australian Alpine Academy is very different from Aconcagua - show us that you understand what each adventure entails. A narrative that highlights how a particular scholarship opportunity can move forward your goals (and even give back to your community) will help us understand the transformative potential of the trip in the accomplishment of your big mountain dreams!
We’re not asking you to share your bank statements with us, but if there is a specific reason that paying for an expedition out-of-pocket is hard for you… let us know. Are you still in school? A single mom? Recently had a big life change? Note that limited finances alone do not make for a strong application, and we will on occasion select a Summit Scholarship recipient who demonstrates exceptional alignment with the Foundation’s mission even if they do not show an extraordinary financial need.
If necessary, download the application questions linked to each scholarship landing page and work on your answers offline. Be mindful of the word count and the intentions behind each question. Conciseness and specificity will go a long way.
Some other things you should know about the application process:
The Summit Scholarship process is not a popularity contest. Not having a large social media following will not hurt you. As a matter of fact, we are not even asking for your social media handles in the initial application!
If you have been applying to the Summit Scholarship program for multiple years, let us know. Several of our past Summit Scholarship recipients applied more than once prior to receiving a scholarship; we will factor this information in favorably should we need a tie breaker during final selections.
The Summit Scholarship is intended to break down barriers. For most of our scholarships, you do NOT need to have prior mountaineering experience, and for some you don’t even need prior backpacking experience. We ask you to share a bit about your outdoor & endurance background primarily to make sure that the scholarships you are applying for are in fact a good match for you (and, for what it’s worth, this assessment does not factor into the earlier stages of application reviews — it’s an overlay that happens at the very end).
There is no magic formula, and there are many more qualified applicants each year than there are scholarships available. Last year, we awarded scholarships to 7 women out of over 600 applicants — which means that, statistically speaking, the Summit Scholarship application process is more selective than getting into Harvard College.
If you are hesitating to apply, please also know the following: no matter if you receive a scholarship or not, by submitting your application, you are actively helping the Summit Scholarship Foundation create more scholarships in the future. Here’s why - the more applications we receive, the more evident the need for these scholarships is, the more excited sponsors are about pledging funds to support the program, the more scholarships we can offer. And not just that — by writing your application, by taking a chance on something big (and by talking about it!), you will inspire many other women to dream themselves into spaces that they may never even have considered a possibility. That’s how empowerment happens.
So - what are you waiting for? If you’re still not sure that you should do it for you…do it for your friends, your daughter, your sister, your co-worker. Do it for all of us.
