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Scholars of Excellence

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Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Most Prestigious Scholarship Competition

The Scholars of Excellence program at Â鶹ÊÓƵ University recognizes outstanding academic performance and demonstrated leadership experience in future students at Â鶹ÊÓƵ University. Scholarships through this program are Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s top academic scholarships.

Scholars of Excellence competition weekends will be held in February 2027. Students will be selected to attend the competition weekend based on their submitted application and essay. Please contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 1.800.33UNION with any questions.

Competition Details

Eligibility Criteria

You must be an incoming freshman in the fall semester of 2027

You must satisfy one of the criteria from section A and one of the criteria from section B:

A.

  1. 29 ACT minimum score (excluding writing component), 1330 SAT minimum score (combined Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math) or 95 Classical Learning Test (CLT)
  2. National Merit Finalist, National Hispanic Scholar, or National Merit Semi-Finalist.

B.

  1. Top 15% class rank
  2. Minimum 3.5 of 4.0 grade point average

Application

The Scholars of Excellence (SOE) application is available by invitation only. You must submit an application for Undergraduate Admissions first. Once your application for admission AND your test scores have been received and processed, you will receive an invitation to complete the Scholars of Excellence application by email, if you meet the eligibility requirements (see above). The Scholars of Excellence application will be available beginning October 1, 2026.

The final deadline for submission is Friday, January 1, 2027. Early submission is encouraged, as space may be limited.

  1. Completed Â鶹ÊÓƵ University Application for Undergraduate Admission (if not already submitted)
  2. The Scholars of Excellence Program Application (including essay)
  3. High School Transcript (if not already submitted)

Once you receive the invitation:

  1. Login to your UU Bound site using the email address to which you received your invitation as your username.
  2. Click on the Scholars of Excellence link.
  3. Upload your response to the essay question. This may be a PDF or Word document.
  4. Read the Electronic Signature explanation and enter your name in the box. Then click Submit.

Evaluation

The listed items, with emphasis being given to the essay included with the Scholars of Excellence application, will be evaluated by the selection committee. Students should ensure their application and essay showcase their strengths for living and growing in a faith-filled academic community. Official invitation letters will be mailed soon after receipt of the completed application. Additional details will be included in the invitation packet so that travel plans can be made. With the exception of students living overseas, all finalists are expected to participate in one of the weekends to be eligible for Scholars of Excellence Awards. Activities for the Scholars of Excellence Weekends will conclude late Saturday afternoon.

Details will be announced at a later date.

Notification

Letters to all applicants concerning their scholarship awards will be mailed in March.

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Award Description

The following Scholars of Excellence awards are available to new students entering Â鶹ÊÓƵ University for the first time in the Fall 2027 semester.

Applicants who meet the above eligibility criteria may compete for the following awards:

  • Founders’ Scholarship: Each year one recipient will be chosen to receive the Founders’ Scholarship, which is a full tuition, room and board scholarship. The scholarship will cover tuition, room, meals and student services fees for credit hours taken during Fall and Spring terms for a maximum of eight undergraduate semesters. Recipients will also be automatically admitted to the Honors Community. To retain the Founders’ Scholarship, recipients must maintain a 3.25 cumulative Â鶹ÊÓƵ University GPA and perform up to 50 hours per semester of leadership services for the University.
  • Scholars of Excellence Awards: All applicants who meet the requirements for Scholars of Excellence and participate in the on-campus competition weekend will be awarded a Scholars of Excellence Award that may be combined with all other institutional aid. These award amounts will vary based on the applicant’s participation in the weekend events.

No student will be awarded beyond the cost of attendance through a combination of institutional and non-institutional sources. Contact Student Financial Aid for further information.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prepare for the ‘Hot Topic’ discussion?

Approximately five “Hot Topic” items will be given to you by your enrollment counselor in November.

Can Scholars participants stay on campus?

Yes, scholar’s participants can sign up to be paired with a student host and stay in on-campus housing.

What if I need to change the date I am signed up for?

If your schedule changes and you need to switch to another competition weekend, please contact your enrollment counselor or the Undergraduate Admissions Office at 1-800-33-UNION to check on availability for another weekend.