Venture
Scholars Criteria:
The Venture Scholars award is primarily a merit scholarship. It recognizes students who have these qualities:
- Career Focus
Career focus means dedication to a future career. This is reflected by the student's high school coursework, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, hobbies, and paid work, if any. Career focus also means having a realistic plan for achieving the necessary career training after high school.
- Personal Development
This means demonstrating initiative and commitment, as for example in extracurricular activities like scouting, sports, volunteer work, or paid work.
- Academic Achievement
This is reflected in the requirement for a 2.5 cumulative GPA and a 3.0 GPA in the student's major.
Also:
- Financial need is considered as a tie-breaker between candidates with similar qualifications.
- Careers requiring artistic talent (such as music, dance, or art) are generally not funded by Venture Scholars.
- Venture Scholars does not make awards for religious training.
- Venture
Scholars may limit
its awards to students
planning careers
such as nursing
where there may
be a shortage of
places in the training
programs available
to the students.
Venture Scholar applications are provided at each school's career center and at the counseling office.
While applications vary somewhat by school, the following questions are included on all applications:
- Tell us about your career goal. How long have you thought about this career? What inspired you to choose this career? Please make sure that the career path you are choosing is one that you can achieve in community college or a career-training program.
- Describe the community college or training institute that you plan to attend following high school. Where is it located? How did you select it? Then describe your chosen program...
- List the classes you will need to take to complete your program, including any prerequisites.
- State the total number of units that will be required, and state the month and year that you expect to receive your certificate or degree.
- Is there a lottery to get into the program or a required test score or grade point average?
For assistance consult your high school counselor, career center or an academic advisor at your community college or training program.
3. List some of the skills that you already have. (Some examples might be: computer repair, writing, word processing, money management, study skills). Be sure to include the skills you developed in your professional/technical classes.
4.
Tell us about your favorite
high school subject (s), and
why it is your favorite. Remember
to attach
current transcript (available
from the Counseling Office).
5. Please tell us about any work experience you have and any extra-curricular activities you have been involved in. Include any experience related to your career goal.
6. Please describe any obstacles (for example: transportation, access to a computer, responsibilities at home, the need to work) that could prevent you from reaching your goal. How do you plan to overcome them?
7. Because this scholarship is based in part on need, describe any circumstances the selection committee should consider, particularly those that establish financial need (the number of people in your household, family income, etc.).