Criteria for Application
- high school senior living within or attending a school within 25 miles of Cascades Verdae (as SFCS students, you qualify)
- a weighted GPA of 3.0 or above
- demonstration of outstanding character, leadership and citizenship
- participation in extracurricular activities
- one letter of recommendation from a high school faculty, and employer, clergy, or community organization
Essay Rules
- Essay must be the applicant's original work
- Applicants may only enter one time
- Six hundred word essay, typed and double-spaced. Cover page, title and footnotes do not contribute to word count (name of applicant only on cover page)
- Quotations may be used sparingly and sources must be clearly identified
Judging Guidelines
- Research, insight and perspective
- Theme development
- Inspirational quality
- Creativity
- Clarity of ideas
- Meaningful personal connection
- Essays should concentrate on a theme. They will be judged on originality, scholarship, including works cited, and mechanics, including correct grammar and spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.
2015 Essay Question
For almost 1400 years people believed that the Earth was the center of the universe, until one day when Copernicus dared to think differently and proposed that the earth actually revolved around the sun. In today's world, we live in a society built upon the ideas and advancements of those who thought differently - those who innovated. Webster's Dictionary defines innovation "the introduction of something new." To that point, innovation comes in many different shapes and forms - books, technology, fashion, medicine, etc.
While we are exploring new "frontiers" with social media, apps, etc., one must wonder if the age of innovation is coming to a close. Have all things that can be created, been created?
Do you think that it is easier to innovate now with all of the technological advancements? Or, do you think it was easier to innovate without modern advancements and thinking?
Deadline for submissions: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY, 15, 2015
For more information and to apply, visit http://silverpen-slc.com/.
