My son is a 2014 Caroline D. Bradley Scholar (who graduated high school in 2019), and as such I am frequently asked to give advice to families who are considering applying for the CDB Scholarship. I have realized that 滨鈥檓 repeating myself, and so I wanted to note down the advice I always give. I hope to offer a better sense of the landscape, as of course it can feel shrouded in mystery if you are on the applicant鈥檚 side of the fence. 

First things first. To decide to apply means that you and your child are willing to take a risk that your child will put a lot of effort in, and, they might not be awarded the scholarship. Or, maybe they will be awarded. Taking on the application means some amount of living in this unknown for a while, and frankly, learning to breathe through the what-ifs, and importantly, helping your child do the same. Perhaps 滨鈥檓 stating the obvious, but I think it鈥檚 a kindness to say to people: yes, there can be some anxiety in it all as you wait around after submission. It is important to be kind to yourself 鈥� and to your child 鈥� as you wait. And to give your child the message that who they are, and their value, remain the same regardless of outcome.

One thing I always try to communicate up front to applicants is that the people who run the scholarship, and all of the folks at the 优蜜视频 (Institute for Educational Advancement, Pasadena), are real people. They are kind people. This is not some lofty group of Judgers. It can bring a lot of ease to the process if this is made clear to your child from the start.

Expanding on that, it is important to understand the perspective of your child鈥檚 audience as they approach the application. The 优蜜视频 was founded to support gifted kids as whole people, including their social and emotional selves. As such, the people at the 优蜜视频 are all very interested in the whole picture. (Your family would be wise to explore the 优蜜视频鈥檚 website to get a sense of who they are, what they support, and their philosophy about supporting gifted kids.) Yes, it is a scholarship to support exceptional and gifted kids, and as such, the kids are accomplished and interesting in a variety of ways. But I think many take this to mean that all of the CDB Scholars have perfect SAT/ACT scores, or have all won amazing awards, or are all鈥erfectly something. Some one thing.

But the truth is, the people who run the scholarship are looking to build a class, much as a college does. So, the final group that is selected will reflect a variety of abilities and interests. Know that there are kids with perfect SAT/ ACT scores who do not receive the scholarship; perfection is not the defining qualification they seek. While they do look at numbers, and those numbers tell part of the story of your child, know that they are certainly not looking only at numbers. There will be some very STEM-y kids. There will be musicians. There will be historians. There will be artists. And any number of descriptors. Often the Scholars have a number of interests and abilities. But there is not just one defining profile of a CDB Scholar. Since these are gifted kids, the applicants do have good grades and probably impressive scores; but they do not all look alike.

That said, there are some basic underlying truths. It鈥檚 my observation that all of the Scholars are genuinely, enthusiastically engaged in whatever it is they鈥檙e engaged in. They have a spark. The thing or things that interest them make them come alive. They may have the high scores, or good grades, or be accomplished in areas, but they are doing whatever they do because it is an authentic interest or joy. This is key. There are many personality types. There are a fair amount of introverts (and so that spark may be a quiet one). There are extraverts. But they are all engaged in their lives.

(And a side note on that point. The Scholars are engaged in their lives because they are drawn to do so themselves; they are internally driven. This has not been a parent-driven development; they are not doing what they do because their parent wrote the script of their lives and handed it to them. Surely parents have helped and scaffolded 鈥� but this is in response to their kids. That scaffolding is in response to observing, asking questions, and following the child鈥檚 lead.)

The 优蜜视频 knows that these kids are 12, 13. They do not expect these kids to be polished. They know that even if some of the kids do have some impressive accomplishments by the time they are that age, they still are looking a lot at potential. (Know that the 优蜜视频 does understand asynchrony.) Does this kid follow a spark? Does this kid have a genuine enthusiasm for whatever they are interested in? Will this kid be able to take this enormous opportunity and keep expanding, keep growing, keep engaging? How does this kid move in the world? Does this kid move forward with agency? How does this kid approach learning, or any activity?

When it comes time to work on the application, then, what I always say is this: Be authentic.

This is where you reference what I said above. Your child does not need to try to be somebody else to be a CDB Scholar. In fact, if a child is trying to be someone else in the application, then it seems pretty certain to me they are unlikely to get it. It will be evident to the committee. Your child needs to be exactly him, her, themselves. They are presenting their genuine selves, not an idealized notion. It needs to be clear that the application is their work, in their voice. That is the only voice the 优蜜视频 wants to hear 鈥� not a parent鈥檚, not a consultant鈥檚. And the child needs to know this. This will give them freedom that allows them to address the application well.

As the parent, you will have the chance to speak to the committee in your own statement. That is the place for your experience, your observation; that is the place for your parental voice as you tell about the child you know, as you tell the story of your child. As the parent, you have to walk a fine line with your involvement in the application process. You, as the adult, will have a larger perspective than your child could have 鈥� both regarding a view of who they are, but also regarding what it is to submit an application like this. You will be a necessary part of the equation, but as an ally, as a support. You are there to help them talk out what they want to say, maybe help with edits for clarity; to be the adult who has done applications before. But your main job as a parent in this process is to help your child express their own voice.

Many I have spoken with said that the application process was valuable. This has also been true for those whose children were not awarded the scholarship. Certainly, that outcome was disappointing for them, but they experienced value even with that. Here is what I experienced as an observing parent, and what I think has been true for others: arriving at the age of 12 or 13, this is often the first time the child has been asked to self-reflect. What a powerful process that can be. Use that. This is not just about 鈥淒o a great job on the application so you can win an award.鈥� This is 鈥淟et鈥檚 take time so you can find your voice, show who you are, and what you enthusiastically run toward on your own. Let this be an opportunity for you to sit back and reflect on who you鈥檝e become already, and who you want to become. And then express that.鈥� Those who deeply engage in the process find they are changed by it.

I repeat: the folks at CDB are real people (friendly, kind, funny, compassionate people) who are looking to award real kids with the scholarship. They are people who really want to support gifted kids.

The most important thing is for the application to be an authentic representation of the kid. For the kid to be authentic in the process. They want the real thing, not what an anxious parent might think they want to see. Yes, the people who apply are very accomplished and bright, and so that all comes out, and does need to be presented (things done, awards won, recognitions, talents, passions, etc.). But really, they are looking for kids who are kind, have integrity, are creative: who are essentially good people. Good people who are enthusiastic about learning and their own passions and will take advantage of the scholarship. (The people at the 优蜜视频 take the organization鈥檚 main tenets seriously. Passion, Creativity, Integrity, Perseverance. The kids who are awarded live those tenets as a natural part of who they are.) It鈥檚 not all about bells and whistles, though the Scholars have those. It鈥檚 who they are, along with the bells and whistles, that counts the most. The task is to show the committee who the child really is. Your child鈥檚 heart needs to come through. That is essential.

People ask my advice, and often it seems that they think 滨鈥檓 going to be able to give some nudge about how their particular kid should approach it. But I always come back to the same thing 鈥� everything I鈥檝e written here. And often, after I repeat all of this, I see that parents have an awakened notion, and seem to feel relieved that the task at hand is not as mystery-laden or out of their range as they鈥檇 feared it was going to be. Because in the end, it鈥檚 about showing what is already true. You already know this. You just need to sit and ponder, ask your child to ponder, ponder out loud together, and let it come into clarity. Let who they are come into clarity. Jot notes. Have discussions. 鈥榃ho am I? What do I love? What do I like to do in my free time? What excites me? What do I want for myself? For the world? How do I approach things?鈥� You have the opportunity to guide this awakening, and then sit back and let them go at it. Make sure your child knows that this is about communicating what they have already been doing: being themselves.

2020 Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Applications are due Wednesday, April 15, 2020.  

Thank you so much to all of our blog’s readers. This year we had a record number of visitors and comments on our blog! Here were the Institute for Educational Advancement鈥檚 top blog posts in 2019:

: Bonnie Raskin, Scholarship Director, gives our community a glimpse of what it is like to at the helm of the Caroline D. Bradley (CDB) Scholarship program.

  This post features 10 California schools who are also highlighted in 优蜜视频鈥檚 new Gifted Schools Guide highlighting schools for gifted and advanced students throughout the United States.

 This past September, 优蜜视频 announced the 2024 class of award recipients of the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship, a four-year high school scholarship for gifted learners to attend an optimally matched high school program to help them work toward meeting their unique intellectual and personal potential.

: In this post 优蜜视频 spotlighted a list of fantastic Summer programs that serve gifted youth.

 A post full of amazing podcast recommendations about gifted learners. These are great resources for parents and educators supporting bright young minds.

 There is no shortage of games and puzzles that are intellectually stimulating; Pylos, Quoridor, and the classic Rubik鈥檚 Cube are all examples of mentally challenging and fun games. In this post you can find a variety of educational toys and games to consider giving to a gifted child any time of the year!

: Gifted children tend to have a strong desire and need for intellectual stimulation, and that need doesn鈥檛 go away when schools are closed. In this post are three ways parents can help foster positive social and academic growth during a holiday break.

This blog post walks through every step of the evaluation process for the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship.

Development Manager Mavis Bortey-fio shared her most inspiring moments spent with 优蜜视频 students in honor of this year鈥檚 #GivingTuesday campaign.

This post featured great reads for parents and educators focused on best practices and strategies for raising and educating a gifted child. These books are also listed on 优蜜视频鈥檚 which serves as a free online tool created and curated by 优蜜视频 for our community.

Like this post? to receive more stories, information, and resources about gifted youth straight to your inbox.

In the course of my fifteen years at the Institute for Educational Advancement at the helm of the Caroline D. Bradley (CDB) Scholarship program, 滨鈥檓 often asked, 鈥淲hat exactly do you do? What鈥檚 a typical workday?鈥� So 滨鈥檓 here to set the record straight and hopefully provide some answers. First of all, there is no 鈥渢ypical鈥� day which is precisely why I never get bored as the program director of CDB. In short, CDB runs year round with very little down time per se. The CDB team is comprised of myself and my extremely effective and efficient colleague, Mallory Aldrich. We are responsible for the approximately 150 CDB Scholars who are active within the program from 8th grade through high school, as well as maintaining contact with parents, CDB alumni, educators, organizing our CDB Selection Committees and the annual three day Bradley Seminar, collaborating with partner organizations who work with gifted students and assisting people interested in learning about and applying for the CDB Scholarship. Mallory and I are ably assisted by the 优蜜视频 team who help with our marketing, tuition payments, Finalist interviews, development, data collection and all manner of IT assistance.

We base our schedule around an academic calendar beginning anew for the year right after Labor Day in early September with the annual selection of new CDB Scholars. Roughly, the CDB year plays out as follows: the new class of Scholars is announced in early September which begins the cycle of 鈥渧irtually鈥� introducing the nationwide CDB rising 8th graders to each other and learning about them as the exceptional individuals they are. Then begins several months in the fall months of interactive research about high school programs and our follow up with each Scholar as they visit and apply to at least three high schools or programs that best suit their learning styles and academic goals. At the same time, we鈥檙e actively monitoring the transition from middle school to freshman year of high school for the entering 9th grade CDB class, making sure the returning high school Scholars are still well placed at their schools, working with the CDB high school seniors in their college application process, checking with the new class of CDB alumni as they enter college and begin work on the upcoming year鈥檚 CDB application and important program dates, organize our national selection committees who work with us to select that year鈥檚 CDB Finalists and begin sketching out the three day Bradley Seminar which encompasses travel, lodging, meals, activities, workshops and socializing for our entire CDB community of high school students, parents, guest speakers and educators with support from the entire 优蜜视频 team. All of the CDB Scholars are responsible for submitting their midterm and final term grades and teacher comments to the CDB team which is followed by individual feedback we proved to each Scholar. Within the new class, it鈥檚 rare that we are not in touch with them either by phone or email every two weeks to check in and get to know them and how their high school selection process is going.

Winter involves making sure all of the high school and college CDB applications have been completed and submitted within their deadlines, as well as personal recommendation letters and CDB information to all of the colleges being applied to by our college applicant Scholars. The new CDB application is online by now, so in addition to at least three webinars we conduct to provide information and answer questions, we are available to work with prospective applicants, recommenders and schools by phone or email. Plans for the Bradley Seminar are solidifying with the theme selected and agenda being meticulously planned out. Individual Scholars are inquiring about recommendations for summer internships that we will assist with. Winter term grades are coming in and holiday wishes extended back and forth. Scholars are hearing from their Early Decision and Early Action colleges, so that always brings a round of congratulations or calming messages about hanging in there and doing whatever we can to alleviate stress and anxiety on the part of our Scholars. This is also the time we work with any of our high school Scholars who are considering transferring for any number of reasons to a different high school program or looking for an alternate educational experience. One of the exceptional aspects of the CDB program is our flexibility to handle each individual鈥檚 ongoing academic requirements and to advocate for each Scholar should they seek to expand their horizons.

Spring is the Bradley Seminar, a highlight of the CDB program for all involved and in April the due date for that year鈥檚 CDB applications when Mallory and I go into lockdown mode to process and read the hundreds of eligible applications that we receive. By early May, we have divided the top tier applications into groups of approximately 55-60 each that will be sent to the members of our mulitple selection committees for their evaluations. The end of May- early June involves Mallory, our 优蜜视频 president and my travel to meet with the selection committees to select that year鈥檚 CDB Finalists who we will spend the summer traveling throughout the United States to interview them as the next phase of the CDB selection process. Spring is also when our Scholars hear the results of their high school and college applications, so it is a time filled with tremendous emotions and a lot of support extended to our Scholars as we support and work with them to finalize their high school and college decisions.

Summer brings extensive travel for the CDB team as well as support from our SoCal staff in conducting local CDB Finalist interviews and helping organize our schedule that extends from June- August when we have the heady experience of meeting a group of awesome and awe-inspiring CDB Finalists and parents from coast to coast. The end of the summer brings the selection of that year鈥檚 CDB class.

Mallory and I function as connectors throughout the work we do during the year. We help new Scholars connect with high school Scholars when they visit new schools that have current CDB Scholars in attendance; we connect CDB alumni and parents with current CDB Scholars looking for potential mentors or having questions to ask of fellow community members regarding their careers, current occupations or life out in the 鈥渞eal world.鈥� We connect organizations interested in the work we do with 优蜜视频 programs and initiatives as well as attend local and national conferences and conduct webinars and monthly gifted support group meetings on site to inform interested people in what CDB and 优蜜视频 are about.

It is impossible to fall through the cracks, so to speak, as a CDB Scholar. Mallory and I simply won鈥檛 let that happen. We work very hard to develop ongoing trust-based relationships with all of our Scholars and communicate regularly with them as additional support systems or advocates when it comes to any issue they might be facing at school鈥攚ith their classes, teachers, peers– or as they navigate finding balance in their often very fully scheduled lives. We work to impart life lessons to the CDB community about being proactive when it comes to their own educational paths, seeking guidance and assistance from teachers and mentors when/as needed and strive to help them develop strategies and skills to alleviate the stresses, anxieties and expectations inherent in being teenagers in general and being at competitive academic environments in particular.

So going back to the first paragraph of this attempt to de-mystify CDB, Mallory and my day always encompasses reading and responding to MANY emails from our Scholars, their parents, admissions officers at the high schools we work with as well as introducing new schools to the CDB program and Scholars. We attend regular weekly meetings that are part of 优蜜视频 as well as appointments outside the office or with visitors by people interested in learning more about CDB who are visiting SoCal and stop by our office in Pasadena, CA. We spend time daily checking in with each other as collaborators in working with an incredibly diverse population of students in how best to support and assist them in areas as varied as course selection to confidence building when it comes to trying new activities or accelerated classes outside familiar comfort zones. We are ever-present cheerleaders, confidence builders and at times deliverers of wakeup calls when needed to help motivate Scholars to get back on track should their grades slip. CDB is a merit-based scholarship program with contractual guidelines that are monitored and enforced. That said, our motivation as the officers of the CDB program is to always work with our Scholars to enable them to be the prime movers on their own academic journeys, accounting for ups and downs as they occur. With many of our students who always expect super-human results from every test and each class grade and teacher comment, we work to 鈥渉umanize鈥� sometimes unrealistic goals and perfectionistic tendencies that can trip up even the most accomplished, high achievers among our cohort.

It is a tremendous pleasure and privilege to get to know and work with the CDB Scholar community and watch these young people develop their full potentials from the 鈥渘ewbies鈥� we meet as middle schoolers, through high school, college and beyond. With nine classes of CDB college graduates since the program鈥檚 inception in 2002, we now have CDB alums who are married, have their own future CDB Scholars and are well into their adult lives. It鈥檚 not many jobs or careers that afford its staff the incredible opportunity to change someone鈥檚 life for the better and to experience tremendous appreciation and gratitude for the largesse of all that the CDB Scholarship offers and the work we do in support of this program and these fabulous young people . I feel truly blessed to experience these rewards on an almost daily basis through my colleagues at 优蜜视频 and the CDB community at large. Perhaps I don鈥檛 skip into work every day, but I am so grateful for the work I get to do and the people I do it with.

As we are approaching the opening of the 2020 Application, we thought this would be a great opportunity to share with you the prompts for the essay portion of the application and some tips for writing and submitting them.

The reflective prompt section of the application is where the applicant has a chance to show the scholarship committee who they are and what their passions are. Part A is mandatory and needs to be done in essay form. Part B consists of responding to two of the five prompt options. ONE of these responses can be a more creative approach and include a collage, artwork, audio or video recording. The best way to attach this to your application is to include a link to either Dropbox or Google Drive or similar platform. You can simply do this by placing the link below your other essays. Essays should 500 words or less. Please make sure to copy and paste the essay question you are answering prior to writing your essay so that the reader can easily identify which essay prompt you chose. If you are answering the essay in a more creative approach, please make sure to let us know what essay question you are answering.

One thing to note if in your essays you talk of an activity that you love to do it would be in your best interest to show us that activity in the additional information section.

The prompts are below.

Mandatory

Describe the world you come from and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

Respond to two of the five following prompts:

1. We know you lead a busy life, full of activities and responsibilities, some of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do for its own sake 鈥� simply because you like to do it.
2. Talk about an academic or intellectual subject you are passionate about and why. What about this topic excites you? How have you pursued this particular interest in or outside of school?
3. Tell us about an obstacle you have overcome or a challenge you have taken.
4. Include a photo of an image that speaks to you in a special way and tell us why.
5. What do you feel is lacking from your academic background?

Looking for more application tips? Check out from Bonnie Raskin, Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Manager.

The application will be open soon for 2020. Be the first to know when the application is open by signing up for 优蜜视频鈥檚 newsletter

The program, which began in 2002 and is generously funded by The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, is one of the few merit-based, need-blind scholarships of its kind in the U.S. To date, 优蜜视频 has awarded 321 scholarships to gifted learners and alumni are already making their mark on the world. Currently there are 172 alumni, 115 of whom have graduated from college and are in the work force, attending graduate school or participating in international service and fellowship programs.

鈥淲hen learning environments appropriately challenge each individual鈥檚 capabilities and address their personal needs, gifted students are far more likely to gain the tools required to realize their intellectual and personal potential,鈥� said Elizabeth Jones, President of 优蜜视频. 鈥溣琶凼悠� is honored to award scholarships to these deserving students thanks to the generosity of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. Now 28 gifted students of the Caroline D. Bradley (CDB) Scholar class of 2024 will have the financial and personal support they need to fuel their passion, curiosity and advanced intellectual ability.鈥�

Students apply for the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship in the seventh grade and are required to complete a rigorous portfolio application process, which includes essays, middle school transcripts, two recommendations and a work sample. Eligible applicants must also achieve scores at or above the 97th percentile on nationally normed standardized tests and score competitively with high school seniors on the SAT Reasoning or ACT tests. Four regional Selection Committees comprised of a diverse group of high school and university admissions directors, CDB alumni, and community and business leaders nationwide were tasked with choosing 63 finalists out of a pool of nearly 400 eligible applicants. Each of the very qualified CDB Finalists met with members of the CDB staff for an interview as the final step in the Scholar selection process.

Over the course of the next several months, 优蜜视频 staff, current CDB Scholars and CDB alumni will provide guidance and assistance to the entering class of 2024 Scholars as they begin to identify potential high school programs, complete applications and prepare their individualized educational plans for next year鈥檚 high school entrance. 鈥淭he Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship creates a life-changing experience that goes well beyond a high school scholarship,鈥� said Bonnie Raskin, Program Director. 鈥淪cholars receive support and counsel from the Institute for Educational Advancement through high school and become part of a community of intellectual peers that they can rely on for support, shared information and networking for the rest of their lives. This is a very exciting moment in these students鈥� lives.鈥�

2024 Caroline D. Bradley Scholars:
Acie Abner, Bowie, MD
Adam Azevedo, San Francisco, CA
Amanda Castillo-Lopez, Aurora, CO
Sophia Chen, Tustin, CA
Anne (Annie) Chian, Orange, CA
Jacob Cohen, Menlo Park, CA
Benjamin Ely, Grantham, NH
Logan Eskildsen, North Palm Beach, FL
Tristin Hurst, Wallingford, PA
Grace Jones, Santa Cruz, CA
Connor Keeney, San Antonio, TX
Alexandra Kim, Pasadena, CA
Jaeho Lee, Rexford, NY
Anna Levin, New York, NY
Bhushan Mohanraj, Charlotte, NC
Enrique Perez, Los Angeles, CA
Rishi Rai, Aurora, CO
Achyuta Rajaram, Sharon, MA
Dorothy Swanson Blaker, Portland, OR
Sophie Szeto, Seattle, WA
Riya Tyagi, Short Hills, NJ
Alex Wa, Duluth, GA
Caitlin Wassell, Ellensburg, WA
Corinne Wingate, San Mateo, CA
Grace Wu, Middleton, WI
Henry Yao, Sunnyvale, CA
Nicolas Zepeda, Sun Prairie, WI
Alex Zhao, Kirkland, WA

Congratulations to all of 2024 class of award recipients! We welcome you to the 优蜜视频 community.

Applications for the 2020 scholarship will be available in November 2019. To be notified when the application is available, .

In the course of being the Program Manager for the (CDB), 滨鈥檓 often asked, 鈥淗ow do you evaluate a CDB application? What do you look for?鈥� With the 2019 CDB application season in full swing, I thought this would be the perfect time to address these questions and speak candidly about my process.

To first present a broad overview, all of the annual CDB applications come to the scholarship@educationaladvancement.org mailbox when they鈥檙e submitted online. The CDB staff initially makes sure all of the component parts are included in each application, and if anything is missing, we routinely鈥攁nd promptly– email the applicant to inform them what鈥檚 needed before the deadline. Every CDB application is read thoroughly multiple times, always by me and at least one other member of the CDB staff. After our initial in-office evaluations and team discussion, the highest ranked applications are then sent to our four selection committees throughout the United States comprised of deans and directors of admission from high schools, colleges and universities; heads of schools; educators familiar with gifted educational programs; members of organizations that work with gifted students; and CDB alumni who are represented on each committee. The CDB Finalists are selected from the four committees and will be interviewed in person or via Skype over the summer by the CDB team and CDB alumni who travel from June-August to cities throughout the United States. Each annual CDB class is selected early in September.

The first aspect of any CDB application that I look at is the applicant鈥檚 photo. While this is not a requirement, I highly recommend submitting a photo to go along with your application. When hundreds of applications are received, it鈥檚 common sense to personalize YOUR application as much as possible. For me, this means early on being able to put a face to an applicant鈥檚 name. The photograph you choose is totally your choice, but personally, I always enjoy seeing a photo that shows something unique about an applicant鈥攎aybe your picture at a landmark that means something to you or doing an activity that鈥檚 directly related to a passion of yours or just an offbeat look at what makes you, you. There鈥檚 a lot of truth to the adage about a picture speaking louder than words. Really, there is no downside to including a photo of yourself. The only 鈥渕essage鈥� you鈥檙e conveying by not doing so is that for whatever reason, you don鈥檛 want the reader to see you.

Next, I look at an applicant鈥檚 statistics to get an overall sense of the person 滨鈥檓 about to read in his/her home and family environment. I also pay attention to an applicant鈥檚 birthdate to get a sense of where they fit in age-wise as a current seventh grader. Has he or she been accelerated? (Btw, you don鈥檛 get 鈥渂onus鈥� points for moving forward in school; it鈥檚 just one of many aspects of learning about you that we are interested in knowing and if you are being academically served by your current educational program). Then I look at where an applicant goes to school. If the applicant is or has been home-schooled, here鈥檚 an opportunity to let us know more details about your educational path.

I then move on to the ACT or SAT test scores to make sure the eligibility requirements have been met by at least one section of either test. While the numerics do matter鈥擟DB is a merit-based application鈥攅ach individual section of the entire application is taken into consideration as we evaluate the whole person who has applied. We know that each applicant is an individual who is way more than the sum of his or her GPA and test scores.

From here, I look at the various honors, achievements and activities that occupy your time outside of school. All of the application readers want to see what matters enough to you that you spend time and expend effort doing an activity in your discretionary free time, whether it鈥檚 sports, music, community service, a job, robotics, tutoring, competition or anything in between that rounds you out as a multi-dimensional person.

On to the Quick Takes section. I hope that you as an applicant enjoy completing this section as much as we enjoy reading it. This is really the first part of the CDB application where your originality and unique self come through and where, on this end, we want you to have fun filling out the questions in brief. Full disclosure– there are (often) times when I find myself doing a Google, Dictionary.com or Wikipedia search based upon your entries鈥� and I don鈥檛 mind at all.

We always include a mandatory essay prompt to level the field, as every applicant will be expected to complete this particular essay which allows us to get to know your writing style and addresses a specific part of your personality, home life, background and what makes you the person鈥攁nd student鈥攜ou are.

We then provide several options for additional essays that can either be written or expressed in another form that helps you display a more rounded view of yourself and how you feel about certain aspects of your life and the world you live in.聽 It seems unfair to us to only limit an applicant to the written word if writing is not your particular forte, so we want you to have the option of expressing yourself in other ways that you鈥檙e comfortable with and give you a full choice of alternate approaches to several prompts.

A hint about the essays鈥攑lease, please, please proofread your essays, or have another person assist here. This is not to say that anyone but you should be responsible for the meat and substance of your essay material, but the grammar, syntax and spelling are absolutely ok to have another pair of eyes scan.聽 Nothing stops a reader more abruptly than a poorly proofed essay.聽 Your writing should be your voice, period.聽 Don鈥檛 feel you need to pepper an essay with 鈥渂ig words鈥� if the vocabulary is clunky or isn鈥檛 in keeping with how you verbalize your thoughts. If English is your second language, we do take how you formulate your essays into consideration. When I or a member of the CDB team approach an application, we do so out of a genuine desire to want to get to know and view you in a positive light, so help us help you by providing us with interesting, engaging responses that encourage us to keep reading.

Data-wise, your sixth and seventh-grade transcripts and nationally-normed standardized test scores paint a further picture of the academic side of the person you are that helps round out the whole person within each application.

From here, I move to what I refer to as the cheerleader part of the application鈥攜our recommendations. First and foremost, be mindful who you approach to be your recommenders鈥攁cademic and extracurricular. Make sure these are people who not only know you well but who want to be supportive advocates for you. In fairness, there are recommenders who don鈥檛 tell an applicant otherwise and commit to submitting an application that is negative and can honestly derail your application. While as far as 滨鈥檓 concerned, this is unconscionable on the part of the recommender, it鈥檚 still up to you to know who and where to turn to for this portion of the application and to make sure that your recommenders are cognizant of deadline dates for them to submit their letters and that they have the time and inclination to 聽be ready, willing and able to meet the application deadline鈥� and let you know when they have submitted their portion so you don鈥檛 have the awkward responsibility to keep asking them if they鈥檝e done so. While not every recommender is going to say that you鈥檙e 鈥渢he best student they鈥檝e ever taught in 30+ years of teaching鈥� or that you 鈥渄efine what it means to be the epitome of a CDB Scholar鈥� (yep鈥擨鈥檝e received those exact words in a recommendation), a personalized, detailed account of both the person and student you are from an adult other than your parent is a definite plus to any application, CDB or otherwise.

On to the parent statement.聽 We hope that your parents understand that keeping their statement to one page double spaced is an important aspect of following directions which, on our end, we take seriously.聽 It also should come as no surprise that when reading hundreds of applications, the smallest font and virtually no margins are not going to start us out in great stead if we have to squint to read a parent statement. The best parent statements by far are those that don鈥檛 repeat information we already know from other parts of your application such as awards and honors you鈥檝e received, your grade point average or test scores. In almost all cases, there鈥檚 no one who knows you better than your parent, so our hope is that they are going to tell us aspects about you that we don鈥檛 already know or have ascertained from other parts of your application. And since even the most stupendous applicant also might have a few foibles or vulnerabilities that make you human, we welcome these admissions and certainly don鈥檛 hold it against an applicant who comes across as a mere mortal in spite of the superstar you understandably are in the eyes of your parents.

In the area of submitting a work sample, 滨鈥檓 going to let you in on a little secret. If you鈥檝e spent an essay or two writing about a particular interest or passion you have, LET US SEE IT! If you wrote about being a dancer or an artist, a musician or a singer, a robotics aficionado, it鈥檚 almost a tease to not support this with a sample that shows you participating in something that鈥檚 clearly meaningful to you and which we would also love to see demonstrated. It鈥檚 fine if there鈥檚 a particular school essay or science fair project you鈥檝e done that鈥檚 significant and you want to showcase as your work sample, but please also consider adding the afore-mentioned passion piece in the Additional Information section which should not be a recapitulation of your resume or honors you鈥檝e accrued and duly noted previously in the application.聽 When we read data that is repeated over and over throughout an application, it makes us wonder 鈥淚s that all there is?鈥� to a particular applicant.

Without question, the rewards of being selected as a Caroline D. Bradley Scholar or Finalist can be life-changing and transformative, but simply being eligible to apply for– and complete– so extensive an application is beyond commendable.聽 My hope and that of the entire CDB team is that you come away from the experience with a positive sense of yourself and how extremely capable and accomplished you already are. It is a privilege for myself and the staff to have the opportunity to get to know YOU, so thank you for taking the time and making the effort to introduce yourself to us.

It鈥檚 been about Bonnie. Not to minimize the hard work and dedication of all the staff of the and Institute of Educational Advancement (优蜜视频) to whom we are eternally grateful, our appreciation for the life-changing generosity of the program or the support of the amazing community. But when our family thinks about CDB, it is about Bonnie.

A little background: our son was seven years old when he rocketed out of his first lecture, never before so engaged and excited about a class. He spoke animatedly about Higgs Boson, van der Waals, Schrondinger鈥檚 cat鈥� topics for which we 鈥榤uggle thinking鈥� parents were only vaguely familiar and could barely understand.

But 优蜜视频 understood. They understood what exceptional kids needed – high level learning. They understood what the parents needed – a setting where they could talk about their kids without the 鈥榚ye roll鈥� upon mention of the word gifted. Prior, we struggled to find that place – an outlet for his ever-expanding mind and our need for resources and community. We consulted with teachers, moved schools, skipped grades but all these tacks, however helpful, were never the answer. 优蜜视频 was. With instructors like Dr. Rose and Dr. Travouillon, who never taught down, who always met these minds where they were – beyond.

And so. 优蜜视频 was there when we needed it in his younger years. We wondered, what for high school? Of course this is where CDB, and Bonnie, enter the story. What seemed like the miracle of the CDB scholarship – four years of a funded high school education of his choice, the inclusion into a select and supportive community – became other worldly when Jake began the process of his high school search. Only then did we realize the kind of advocacy that came along with the experience. It is to say the least that through the daunting task of disentangling the myriad of choices, Bonnie became a lifeline. Not just in terms of the invaluable information she imparted, but the way in which she made us feel less alone in the process; she let us know that she (and CDB as a whole), had Jake鈥檚 back. There was nothing generic in her feedback, it was always with Jake in mind – who he is, what he needed – and always with an unconditional voice of kindness and reason. If music soothes the savage beast, Bonnie calms the angst of many teens (and their parents) as they pivot into an essential phase of their lives.

It was no surprise then, upon attending the , we heard the familiar refrain of The Bonnie Experience (as I have now affectionately dubbed it) in the senior speeches – the acknowledgement of the many who had the luck to be taken under her wing. How many people are capable of making each and every child feel so uniquely seen? I highlight Bonnie because this does indeed, encapsulate our experience with CDB: one that wraps an unimaginable opportunity in a package of warmth and unparalleled care.

We are thankful to the entire CBD community – staff, scholars, families – for their generosity of spirit and friendship. We look forward to our ongoing relationships, and to giving back, in the years to follow.

For more information about the CDB Scholarship and to learn how your child can apply, visit the .

Working at 优蜜视频 involves a lot more than being responsible for one鈥檚 own area or program.  One of the most difficult jobs at 优蜜视频 is that of the Marketing Coordinator, helmed with much finesse by Nicole LaChance. What makes this position particularly tough is that Nicole has to fill weekly blog post assignments with contributions from  our staff, most of whom are otherwise engaged with a host of our own tasks and not particularly overjoyed at the thought of finding the time or topic to complete a blog whether inside or outside their purview. 

While 滨鈥檓 not a procrastinator by nature, my blog-related inclination is always to sign up for the last possible annual date and throw caution to the wind that twelve months hence, I WILL find a suitable area on which to elaborate. In fairness, Nicole has supplied us with plenty of 鈥済ifted鈥� related suggestions, several of which I鈥檝e adhered to in past blogs. But as this December rolled around and my pressing BLOG DEADLINE approached, there was nothing that came to mind as an area I was enthusiastic about delving into. Not one to be deterred by a lack of enthusiasm when a commitment  has been assigned, Nicole suggested some personal areas I might explore鈥攚hat鈥檚 a day in the life of the Caroline D. Bradley Program Manager like? Has there been a CDB Scholar鈥檚 story that has impacted me to share? What do I look for in a CDB applicant?  Well, I鈥檇 already blogged about CDB applicants and other topics surrounding high school selection. Picking one CDB Scholar from the hundreds I鈥檝e had the pleasure and privilege to know and work with would be tantamount to selecting a favorite child, as every one of the CDB Scholars鈥� stories has impacted me in different ways. And there simply is no 鈥渢ypical鈥� work day, as every work day varies based upon the time of year, as CDB is a program that never stops.

I often ask the CDB Scholars about their passions and what they commit their (often limited) discretionary time toward. The variety and depth of their involvement never ceases to amaze and delight me, so I thought I鈥檇 turn the tables and let the community know about my off-work passion as my current blog topic. While it might not be as informative as strategizing the high school interview, I hope you find it a window into who I am away from CDB:

I volunteer every Saturday and Sunday from 12-4 pm at a dog rescue and adoption organization in Los Angeles called . (You can learn more about us on our website or through our Instagram or Facebook postings.) I鈥檝e been involved with several groups of this kind over the years, but none that has captivated my heart the way Wags and Walks has done. Wags is one of the most successful groups of its kind in Los Angeles. Every rescue/adoption organization has its own mission. Ours is that we rescue family-friendly dogs. This means we don鈥檛 restrict ourselves to breed, age or size of any of the dogs we rescue, from a litter of abandoned puppies to a one-eyed senior or three-legged 鈥渢ripod.鈥� For Wags, it鈥檚 all about TEMPERAMENT. When our rescue team goes on a recognizance mission to any of the SoCal animal shelters, they test a dog behaviorally before he or she becomes a Wags dog. This team is acutely knowledgeable about potential issues that can prevent a dog from adapting to a new home or family whether it鈥檚 because of previous abuse or neglect or other factors that come into play during an on-site evaluation. When a dog joins the Wags and Walks family, it is part of our community for life鈥攅ven after a successful adoption, we stay in contact with our adopters and share life experiences near and far whether it鈥檚 through photos or videos or return visits to our Welcome Center for the life of our dogs and when previous adopters return for another Wags dog.

Wags and Walks is very fortunate to have a wonderful, welcoming location where people can come to meet our dogs. Unfortunately, many animal shelters are sterile and off-putting to potential adopters. They can feel more like holding cells than safe havens for their occupants. At Wags, our Welcome Center is full of rooms large and small with comfortable furniture, dog treats and toys for people to engage with potential adoptable dogs for as long as they like to get to know our dogs, many of whom are nestled next door in state-of-the-art kennels and treated to multiple daily walks, play and cuddle time with an army of volunteers whose shifts cover a full day and into the evening. Wags has our own medical professionals and shelter managers as well as people like me who are part of the adoption team and review applications and introduce  dogs to prospective adopters. There is nothing more fun or satisfying than to meet a family who arrive interested in a small, hypoallergenic dog and end up falling hopelessly in love with a drooling mastiff that could double as a piece of furniture. And then go home with him or her.

Wags is an organization that is adopter-friendly. All too often we hear people complain that it鈥檚 easier to adopt a child than a dog from some groups— that you鈥檙e automatically eliminated if you鈥檙e a student or work a full time job or live in an apartment or have a pool. These antiquated caveats are among the reasons why there are so many dogs in need of a home. Our goal at Wags and Walks is to match people to the optimal dog for their life style. It鈥檚 a myth that all big dogs need unlimited roaming space. The truth is that many large breeds are very comfy and cozy in an apartment with daily walks and family time.  Other than puppies, most dogs can comfortably be at home multiple hours a day without supervision, or there are dog walkers and doggie daycare, a burgeoning industry in Los Angeles and nationwide.

People sometimes say that they couldn鈥檛 bear to foster or volunteer at a group like Wags and Walks, because  they would want to take all of the dogs home. Yes鈥攚e do fall in love with our dogs, but we also have full, happy hearts when our dogs find their forever homes. 鈥淲ho Rescues Who?鈥� pretty much says it all as I watch human and canine lives transform in the time it takes to meet and fall in mutual love with one another. And the bonding is not always instantaneous. I tell people that with very rare exceptions, love at first sight whether human or canine, is a rare phenomenon, but that doesn鈥檛 negate the long term success of relationships when given the time, space and patience to bloom. Wags adopts out over twenty dogs a week which allows us to regularly bring more dogs into our 鈥減ack.鈥� We also have one of the most successful adoption and low return rates of any adoption group, because we take our time to meet and get to know our adopters. I have adopted dogs to celebrities and everyday people. Folks who have had dogs their entire lives and to total newbies. 

All of our dogs are vetted– fully checked out by a veterinary team, microchipped, neutered or spayed and up to date with all of their vaccinations. Our team offers training consultations and special groups for special dogs such as LARPBO鈥擫os Angeles Responsible Pitt Bull Owners. We also have many activities we offer to the public including Puppy Yoga, Yappy Hours at local pubs, children鈥檚 reading groups where youngsters read to our dogs in their kennels, and we鈥檙e one of the only groups that invite children to volunteer and help us walk, feed and learn about animal care.

In case you鈥檙e curious as to what drew me to adopt-not-shop, I have always been a person who leans toward the underdog, human or canine. My family has two rescue dogs. Jub-Jub was saved from a dogfighting group where he was used as a bait dog to rile up the fighting dogs. He is a 22 pound Shih Tzu/Cocker  Spaniel  who came to us with half an ear bitten off. Lester is a hodge-podge of terriers, a Heinz 57 mutt. I believe that rescue dogs know that they鈥檝e been saved and are the most loving and loyal companions anyone could ask for. Dogs are unconditional in their love and commitment to their people, often regardless of what was done to them in the past. If only they could share their stories with us, although in some cases it鈥檚 better that they can鈥檛. To watch a timid, shy dog blossom in the care of a patient, understanding person or family makes every hour I spend at Wags and Walks a gift that keeps on giving鈥攑assing it forward.

In my daily work as the Program Manager, I spend a lot of time matching students with the right school based on the feedback I receive from them as well as research and intuition. It鈥檚 very similar with placing the right dog with his/her people.  Many of our skill sets can translate into multiple areas of our lives, personally and professionally. I鈥檝e had the great joy of introducing some CDB families to my Wags and Walks family with several wonderful adoptions happening within our 优蜜视频 community.

I am incredibly fortunate in the work I鈥檝e chosen and the fulfillment it brings me. During the week, I am able to change the lives of children, and on the weekend, I change the lives of dogs. It doesn鈥檛 get much better than this.

What is your off-work or after-school passion? Share with us in the comments!

As the program manager for the , 滨鈥檓 asked this question more than any other, so 滨鈥檓 here to provide some inside information that you won鈥檛 find on High School Confidential or through the grapevine.

The Selection Process

Every eligible CDB application is read thoroughly by at least two members of the CDB staff and logged into our online data system, one folder for each CDB applicant. If any elements of the application are missing, we will e-mail the applicant well before the submission deadline. We also send a reminder e-mail to every applicant who has begun to fill out or worked on an application within three weeks of the deadline.

Staff members evaluate each application individually with written notes pertaining to each element of the application as well as an overall score and assign a numeric grade to the applicant. This score is then added to an evaluation grid comprised of all that year鈥檚 eligible CDB applications, which is what the CDB staff use to determine which applications will move forward to one of three national selection committees. The committees are comprised of deans and directors of admission at selective high schools, colleges and universities throughout the United States, heads of independent schools, educators who work with gifted students and CDB alumni. Our CDB Scholar alumni are outstanding ambassadors and having successfully gone through the application process themselves makes them quite capable of helping select the Finalists.

The Selection Committee meetings last two days and result in the selection of between 45-55 Finalists from across the country. These Finalists will be interviewed in person or via Skype throughout the summer with one or both of their parents or guardians. From the Finalist pool, each year鈥檚 CDB Scholars will be selected early in September to begin working with the CDB staff to help find their optimal high school fit.

Tips for Applicants

After reading and evaluating thousands of CDB applications I have come up with some tips for prospective applicants:

1. We offer choices in the essays to help you find areas that resonate with you academically and personally. We hope that you will use the 500 word count or a close approximation to elaborate on the topic and help us get to know what drives and motivates you as an individual. Based on my 12 years with the CDB program, it has rarely if ever been the case that a two or three sentence 鈥渆ssay鈥� has the ability to wow. If anything, it feels to the readers that you鈥檙e completing the application under duress and not of your own volition.
2. By all means use engaging, sophisticated vocabulary and concepts if you have a clear understanding of their correct usage. Few things stick out more to an experienced application reader than 鈥渂ig鈥� words or phrases put in for effect rather than to enhance a thought or statement. 鈥淐lunky鈥� is not a note you want next to one of your essays.
3. If you identify as a math or STEAM/STEM person, you are not alone in this applicant pool, so what can you write to set yourself apart from the pack? Well, you can be creative with your words and describe what it is about math that excites and engages you, and you don鈥檛 need to be a wordsmith to accomplish this. As readers, my team and I look forward to understanding what drives and motivates an applicant to complete this long and complex application, so help us better understand you. There are few more positive notes I write than, 鈥淚 want to meet this person and get to know him/her!鈥� It means that you鈥檝e successfully captured my attention through an aspect of your application that presents you as the unique individual you are.
4. Select your recommenders with care. I cannot emphasize this enough. Since the recommenders鈥攁cademic and professional鈥攁re required to submit their grids and comments directly to us at CDB, you won鈥檛 have the opportunity to see what鈥檚 been written about you. Few things can derail an otherwise solid application more than comments by someone who either does not have positive things to say about you or who just goes through cursory motions to complete a form without providing any real insight or approbation to heighten your application. Make sure your recommenders are people who know you well and who have shown themselves to be supportive, encouraging, helpful mentors or role models. Your recommendations should be written by people who you admire and respect and who feel the same about wanting to encourage and support your CDB application because they know you well enough to be a staunch supporter of your candidacy.
5. You are welcome to employ your parents or teachers as proofreaders, but the core ideas should be yours, as well as the writing of your essays, submission of your work sample and finalizing all aspect of the application components. The CDB application is meant to be a reflection of you as an applicant, not your parent. There is a one-page parent letter that should handle that aspect of the application. (See below for more on this.)
6. If you describe yourself in your CDB application as a dancer or a musician or an artist or singer or inventor or photographer, by all means show us, either as a work sample or in the additional information section. This is less about you impressing us as a superstar and more about sharing your passion(s) with our team. It鈥檚 frustrating to repeatedly read about a special skill or area of interest in your application and not see any visual or oral indication of this element of you.

It is up to you鈥攏ot your parent鈥攖o check in with your recommenders and school office to make sure that the materials they鈥檙e compiling for you 鈥攔ecommendations, standardized tests and transcripts鈥攁re submitted well before the CDB deadline. You don鈥檛 have to make a nuisance of yourself, but go about completing each element of the CDB application in a timely fashion, so you鈥檙e not driving everyone around you CRAZY with completing the application minutes or hours before it鈥檚 due.

Tips for Parents of Applicants

And now to the parent responsibilities:

1. While you are always welcome to call or email the CDB Scholarship team with questions or information about the application, please do not word your questions to us as, 鈥�滨鈥檓 completing the CDB application for my son or daughter.鈥� This is a huge red flag for us as to the efficacy of your child鈥檚 application and not at all what you should be doing in regards to his or her submission.
2. As parents or guardians, you are offered a page to let us know about your son or daughter鈥攚hat makes him or her unique, special talents, areas that perhaps only you as a parent see or know from having lived with this young person more than anyone else. Please don鈥檛 use this as a forum to reiterate what鈥檚 already been noted in other places of the application such as grades or awards received. This is meant to be your personal statement, and we always appreciate your staying within the one page limit without utilizing the smallest font and no margins top to bottom or side to side. We want to know, as parents, what you see, know, feel and value about your child that you want to pass along to us. If you want to tell us about particular vulnerabilities or issues that your son or daughter has had to contend with or overcome, we look upon this as informational and not judgmental. Strengths and weaknesses as well as other aspects of character only help us round out the reality and clarity of an applicant. Perfect superstars as described by parents are suspect to an experienced reader.

Managing the Outcome

Finally, when decisions are made鈥攚hether it鈥檚 in selecting the Finalists or ultimately the annual CDB Scholars鈥攑lease understand that in any competitive process, there will sometimes be results that are not to your liking or expectation. The decisions have less to do with what your child did 鈥渨rong鈥� on his or her application or wasn鈥檛 鈥渆nough鈥� in any given area and more with the reality that the CDB Scholarship draws an incredible, awe-inspiring applicant pool of truly stellar young people from all echelons of the seventh grade national gifted population. The selection process is one that the CDB team takes very, very seriously and meticulously as we evaluate and discuss hundreds of highly accomplished young people and always wish we had the resources to recognize many more of these students than we are able to do each year with the 25-30 CDB Scholarships we award.

I can鈥檛 reiterate this enough, but the CDB team always looks at the multiple aspects of an application, not the singularity of test scores or one鈥檚 GPA. is centered around the 鈥攈is or her academic, social, emotional and character-based aspects that all work together to comprise an exceptional individual who will find engagement and fulfillment as a Caroline D. Bradley Scholar within a cohort of peers, mentors and role models spanning selection since 2002.

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As the Program Manager for the program, I鈥檝e been asked by prospective applicants how to 鈥渂est鈥� prepare their application so that it not only gets read, but stands out. There really are no gimmicks or tricks to this, but there are effective guidelines that I鈥檝e seen throughout my 12 years at 优蜜视频 that 滨鈥檓 happy to share:

1. Take the application instructions and directions seriously.

Allow plenty of time to complete your application, so you have time to review and double-check it. Stay within the maximum word counts for your essays and short answers. This lets our selection committees know that you understand and know how to follow directions. Don鈥檛 include extra items if specifically given number limits in certain categories such as recommendations. The CDB Scholarship asks for two recommendations. We know that you鈥檙e a spectacular applicant, but, again, this falls under the follow directions rule of thumb.

2. Start your preparation early.

Be mindful of the CDB application deadline. To ensure you meet the deadline, start gathering everything you need, begin brainstorming essay ideas and request letters of recommendation months ahead of time as a courtesy to your recommenders who more than likely have a lot in their schedules to take care of aside from your recommendation鈥� and potentially for other program applicants in addition to yours.

Be sure to check the deadlines of upcoming ACT and SAT test dates and register as early as possible to be assured of your requested test date and the location of your test center. It also doesn鈥檛 hurt to do a 鈥渢rial run鈥� to the test site so you know in advance not only where it is but how long it will take to get you there, whether driving or on public transportation. The less stress you can put into test day realities, all the better for you to focus your energy on the test itself鈥� and not on getting there.

3. Choose recommenders wisely.

Make sure that your recommenders know you well enough to support a positive letter of recommendation that makes it clear they know you in the context in which they are writing your letter, and that they have the time to write and submit your recommendation in accordance with the deadline. It is YOUR responsibility to give your recommenders all of the necessary details and deadline information, not theirs to research. You do not want to make this process difficult for them, but should focus on presenting yourself in a positive light to any person willing to support your application. You can certainly provide your recommenders with details, as they may think highly of you but not remember your record-setting time in the 100 meter butterfly or the essay you had published in the school鈥檚 literary magazine. Many teachers and coaches routinely write multiple letters of recommendation over the course of an academic year. It鈥檚 fine if you supply them with appropriate data on YOU鈥攚hich is not to say that you write your own recommendation for them to sign. Any recommender who asks you to do this is NOT a recommender that would be appropriate for you to utilize.

4. Don鈥檛 lose focus of the detail.

Make sure that you know and are eligible for the specific requirements of the CDB Scholarship. Overlooking a direction or neglecting any of the submission requirements鈥攊.e. not answering the required number of essay prompts, not submitting a work sample, not completing a parent or recommender statement鈥攃an disqualify an otherwise eligible applicant from consideration. Read the directions carefully, and don鈥檛 hesitate to reach out to a member of the CDB Scholarship team either by phone or e-mail if you have any questions.

5. The seventh聽grader is the applicant- not your parent.

滨鈥檓 going to let you in on an insider secret: no one on the CDB team wants to get a phone call from a prospective applicant鈥檚 parent that begins, 鈥湵踱�檓 filling out the application for my son/daughter鈥︹�澛� unless their question specifically refers to the Parent Statement聽 or general directions-related queries. The application is the responsibility of the student to complete. Yes鈥攁 parent or responsible adult can assist with making sure all elements of the application are in order, but it鈥檚 up to the actual applicant to be proactive when it comes to requesting the recommendations, school transcript and all of the essay writing and submission of activities, work sample, etc.

6. Stay organized.

Keep track of various deadlines and test days with your planner or a calendar app. It鈥檚 also a good idea to keep an online or paper folder with all of the components of the scholarship application as 鈥渟aved鈥� documents prior to submission, as well as the specific people and dates you鈥檝e gone to for your recommendations and school transcripts. Stay on top of the application components that others are responsible for in a respectful manner which does not mean asking them every week if they鈥檝e completed and submitted your materials. With the CDB application, you can check online under your name to see if and when outside pieces of your application have been submitted.

7. Make sure you know the scholarship.

It鈥檚 irritating to a reader when an applicant misspells the name of the scholarship or mistakenly lists the incorrect name if they鈥檙e applying for multiple scholarships.

8. Proof your work and have someone else review your application for errors.

It鈥檚 perfectly acceptable to ask another person鈥攑arent, teacher, older sibling鈥攖o read your work and ask for their input or to check your grammar and spelling. A second pair of eyes can often spot errors that you might have missed in the umpteenth reading of your work. But to be clear– this application should be the work, ideas and creative submission of the applicant who is a 7^th grader, not that of an adult. Our readers are well versed in reviewing applications, and the 鈥渧oice鈥� we expect to be presented with is that of the student applicant, not an over-arching parent.

9. Pay attention to presentation.

If you鈥檝e written great essays and have followed all of the scholarship directives and guidelines but submit an application that is sloppy or not what should be considered as a final draft, you could jeopardize your chances of being a stand-out applicant. All things being equal, the student who submits a neat and professional looking application is going to have an advantage over what appears to be a rushed and not well-proofed submission.

10. Be original.

Many of our readers say that a great essay opening line or a slice-of-life story captures their attention and makes that applicant memorable. Write about specific aspects, experiences, memories or moments of your life in your responses to the various prompts that are unique to you.

11. Share your passions.

As important as your scholastic performance may be, we want to see what you do outside the classroom that has your interest and focus, which is why the CDB application asks for the time commitment and length of time that you鈥檝e put into a particular commitment, as well as any leadership roles you have assumed in your extracurricular life. It鈥檚 fine to dabble in a lot of different pursuits, but the limited number of response slots on the CDB application are meant to reveal your passions鈥� the areas that you have seriously devoted your out-of-school time, effort and outreach towards.

The Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship and the annual cohort of selected CDB Scholars takes into account more than an applicant鈥檚 numerics鈥攇rade point average and test scores.聽 Our team looks at each application as an amalgam of the multiple aspects of what contributes to present you as an accomplished, multi-faceted, high-potential individual, which we hope is indicative of the CDB application in all of its component parts.聽 We want you to be as engaged in the application process as we will be in its reading and getting to know you.

Interested in becoming a CDB Scholar? The is now available. Apply by April 10, 2018.

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