Bezos Scholars Program Students Applying Program Application User Guide
- June 1, 2024
- Bezos Scholars Program
Table of Contents
Bezos Scholars Program Students Applying Program Application
Specifications
- Product Name: Bezos Scholars Program Application Guide
- Features: Selection criteria, step-by-step application guide, eligibility requirements
- Target Audience: Students applying for the Bezos Scholars Program
Selection Criteria Overview
The Bezos Scholars Program evaluates candidates based on three main criteria:
- Intellectual curiosity and commitment to education
- Demonstrated leadership and community engagement
- Readiness and capacity to engage in the program
How We Choose Scholars
The Selection Committee, composed of leaders in education and youth
development, reviews applications based on the selection criteria. The process
consists of two rounds: Step 1: Confirm Eligibility
Ensure you meet the eligibility requirements before starting your
application. Verify your school’s free and reduced lunch rate percentage.
FAQs
Q: What are the key qualities of a strong student applicant for the Bezos
Scholars Program?
A: Strong applicants demonstrate intellectual curiosity, leadership
qualities, community engagement, and readiness to engage in the program.
Thanks for your interest in the Bezos Scholars Program.
This guide is a resource for students applying to the program, or for anyone
helping a student apply. Our application is hosted on a platform created and
managed by Kaleidoscope. To be considered for the upcoming cohort, all
components of the application must be complete and submitted no later than 8
PM
PST, on January 25, 2024.
All parts of a student’s application are viewed holistically to provide us
with as much of a complete understanding of an applicant as possible. This
guide provides detailed information on:
- What makes a strong student applicant
- Our selection criteria
- How U.S. Scholars are selected
- A step-by-step summary of the entire application that includes instructions, resources and recommendations and details on the educator nominee component
The Bezos Scholars Program firmly believes in equal opportunity and values the importance of each person as an individual. To that end, we prohibit discrimination against any current or prospective applicant or selected Bezos Scholar who meets the program’s eligibility requirements on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, political ideology, the presence of any physical, sensory, or mental disabilities or any legally protected status. We expect each selected Scholar to value diversity, equity and inclusion and strongly commit to our anti-discrimination practices.
If you believe that believe that you need an accommodation to allow you to
either apply to or participate in the program, please contact us. Although we
cannot guarantee them, we are committed to providing reasonable accommodations
that are necessary to effectively enable you to apply to and/or participate in
the program.
If, after reviewing this guide and our website, you have any questions about
the program, please reach out to
scholars@bezosfamilyfoundation.org
If you have any questions or need support with the online application, please
reach out to help@mykaleidoscope.com
What makes a strong student applicant?
Successful Bezos Scholars are passionate, intellectually curious young people
who are rising leaders in their schools and communities. They are interested
in personal and intellectual growth, practice reflection, demonstrate a strong
work ethic and communicate clearly. We favor students who engage with their
communities, pursue their passions in substantive ways and are interested in
serving others. Competitive applicants show us their commitment to both
learning and equity. Standout candidates articulate how our program would help
them achieve their personal and professional goals while benefiting their
community.
We also value diversity among scholars, including cultural, racial,
socioeconomic, geographic and gender diversity. We aim each year to build a
cohort of Scholars that reflects the diversity of the United States.
Our selection criteria
Using a holistic selection process that considers multiple aspects of a candidate, our selection committee evaluates and scores candidates based on three main criteria:
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Intellectual curiosity and commitment to education. Bezos Scholars are strong students.
They have taken challenging classes and have performed exceptionally well. Scholars are also intellectually curious. They strive to push the boundaries of their learning in and out of the classroom. We recognize that many factors affect a student’s success. If you’ve had academic challenges while in high school, share more about them in your application, and tell us about how you persevered in spite of them. -
Demonstrated leadership and community engagement. We seek passionate young people who are rising leaders in their schools and communities and who inspire and motivate others through their actions and commitment. Bezos Scholars are independent, creative thinkers. They enjoy converting ideas into action. They lead with humility, compassion and sense of purpose to help others and the world around them.
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Readiness and capacity to engage in the program. Bezos Scholars are excited to take their skills and community involvement to the next level. They can balance community engagement, academics, extracurricular activities and family commitments. Scholars employ strong presentation and public speaking skills; they can summarize thoughts and ideas while being authentically themselves, even if speaking in front of others is not in their immediate comfort zone. They thrive in collaborative settings; they enjoy working with and learning from others. And they enjoy trying new things and challenging pre-conceived notions of what youth can do and what they personally can do to make a difference.
How we choose Scholars
About our Selection Committee: Our volunteer Selection Committee members are
leaders in the fields of education, youth leadership and development, science
and the arts. Some members are former Bezos Scholars. We aim for committee
members to reflect the identities of who applies, and members share a strong
commitment to supporting and championing young leaders. Members are trained to
score applications using our selection rubric which is focused on the
selection criteria described above.
We divide our selection process into two rounds:
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Round One – each application is reviewed three times by three different selection committee members, working independently from one another. Our process also considers the opportunities and resources each applicant has had access to, that we know about, their high school resume
(including cumulative GPA, advanced courses and extracurricular activities) and their educator nominee’s recommendation. -
Round Two – a sub-committee made up of other selection committee members, program staff, and alumni review semi-finalists’ applications and conduct interviews with them. They then choose our finalists, who we invite to become Bezos Scholars. Student acceptance into the program is contingent on our interview and acceptance of their educator nominee.
Step-By-Step Application Guide
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STEP 1: Confirm Eligibility
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To create a profile on our application and start your application, you need to confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements:
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Current high school junior, on track to become a senior the following academic year.
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Attend an eligible public high school in the United States that currently has a 30% or greater overall free and reduced lunch rate.
We are asking for your school’s overall free and reduced lunch rate percentage, not if the student applicant personally qualifies for free and reduced lunch. If you are unsure of your schools free and reduced lunch rate, DO NOT make -
it up or guess. DO ask a school staff person for help. Usually someone in the attendance/main office or in the cafeteria can help.
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On the apply page of the website, please check the current list of ineligible schools. A school is temporarily ineligible if a student from that high school has been selected as a Scholar selected in the last two active cohort years.
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These requirements are so we can engage more students and educators, and help launch more community change projects, from various and different schools and locations. The program not only supports and serves individual students and educators, but also brings opportunities and resources to the school ecosystem they are part of.
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Legal resident or citizen of the United States or have received DACA status.
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Enrolled in or have taken during your high school career, one or more Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or college-level course.
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Committed to nominating an Educator, a willing and supportive adult from your school, who will partner and fully participate in the program with me.
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Have read and fully understand and agree to the program commitments, including full participation on the trip to Aspen, CO slated for late June (exact dates listed on website).
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STEP 2: School Information and Advanced Courses
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This section asks you to complete basic information about your high school, your grades, and advanced
courses offered and that you have taken or are currently enrolled in. GPA: The application asks for your current, unweighted cumulative GPA which cannot be entered in over a 4.0. If you only have a weighted GPA, please use the online conversion tool linked in the application. -
Advanced courses: The application asks how many Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and/or College Level Courses your high school offers. Do not include any classes obtained through dual enrollment. If you do not know how many your high school offers, ask your principal, vice principal, a teacher, or someone in the attendance/main office.
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It also asks how many Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and/or College Level Courses you have taken during high school. Please DO include any classes you are currently enrolled in, and any classes obtained through dual enrollment.
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To be eligible to apply, students must be enrolled in or have taken during their high school career at least one Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or college-level course. If they have taken more than one, the application allows and we recommend that students enter up to four additional classes, prioritizing the commitments most meaningful to them.
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STEP 3: Extracurricular Activities and Employment
- To help us better understand a student’s life outside of the classroom, applicants are required to share two current extra-curricular activities, prioritizing the commitments that are most meaningful by briefly sharing why the activity is important to them.
- Extra-curricular activities include community involvement, family responsibilities, tutoring, clubs, athletics, internships, volunteer work, religious groups, etc.
- Employment: It is optional to add any employment held for more than a month’s time during a student’s high school career. This can be a formal job or an informal paid position. Applicants can enter up to two jobs, prioritizing employment most meaningful. If an applicant has held employment, we recommend that they share that in their application. If an applicant has not held employment or chooses not to submit it, the application will still receive full consideration.
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STEP 4: Video Recording
Consider yourself the director and starring actor of a self-recorded short video you’ll submit answering the prompt below sharing why you want to become a Bezos Scholar. Follow these guidelines when planning and making a video:-
Keep your recording to a maximum of one minute.
In your video, make sure to use the prompt “I want to become a Bezos Scholar because…”. -
Make sure you are in a well-lit place, ideally with a light source facing you.
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Minimize background noise, speak slowly and clearly from start to finish.
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Be creative, vulnerable, and authentic. Be YOU!
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Practice and record as many times as you need to – send us your best single take and do not use video editing software. Using a smart phone works just fine. If you don’t have access to a recording device, ask a supporter for help accessing one.
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Please only submit one video. If you have any challenges with uploading your video, please click the “Help” button or send an email to help@mykaleidoscope.com
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STEP 5: Written Responses
We are looking for well written responses that demonstrate well organized, complete, and supported ideas, statements, and actions that show integrity, creativity and compassion. These essays should describe actions and events from your personal history that highlight your character strengths, leadership skills and leadership experience.
Your written responses must be solely your own work and ideas. Plagiarism, either full or in part, will result in your application being withdrawn. We advise you to be thoughtful, solicit feedback and edit and revise your essay responses. Write, edit, and save your essay responses outside of the online application, so that when ready, you submit your best work. -
Thinking back on your experiences since starting high school, tell us about a time you were challenged.
* What was the challenge? 50 word count
* How did you react and respond? 150 word count
* Provide two specific things you learned as a result of the challenge. 150 word count
2. Describe a positive and impactful community contribution you have made in the last three years.
* Start by first defining and describing your specific community – this can be a group of people in the same place, having a particular characteristic in common, or sharing a feeling of fellowship as a result of common attitudes, interests, needs and/or goals. 150 word count How did you contribute to your community? 200 word count
* Name three skills you used that enabled you to make this contribution and one skill you further developed through this experience. 150 word count
* What impact did your contribution have on your leadership? Reflecting on this experience, name two things you want to improve on as a leader. 150 word count-
STEP 6: Educator Nominee
- Student applicants are required to identify and nominate a trusted adult from their school to become their educator nominee. Educators cannot apply to the program without the nomination of a student. Nominated educators of selected students will be required to travel to Aspen, participate fully in the year-long program, and collaborate with Scholars and the teams they build to help develop and launch community change projects.
- Choosing the right person as your educator is imperative. Applicants will need to be ready to enter their educator nominee’s name, email, the educator’s relationship to them, their role/position at the applicant’s school, three key reasons this person was selected, and add a personalized message to the nominee to be included with the email invitation sent to them, asking them to complete the form.
- It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure they have enough time to do so by the application deadline. The completed form will be kept confidential.
Who is eligible to be nominated?
Educator nominees must
- Be a current school staff member, in any position, OR staff member of a community organization that partners with and offers programming and/or resources to your school.
- Also plan to return to work at your school/for the organization partnering with your school for the following academic year.
- Is someone the student connects and works well with, who is supportive of student-led projects, and understands and can commit to program requirements.
Principals and vice principals can be nominated. Please keep in mind that our
program commitment may be challenging for principals and vice principals due
to their roles and responsibilities within their school/district.
An Educator nominee CANNOT also be an applicant’s parent/guardian, relative
and/or paid private tutor/counselor.
Strong educator nominee candidates also have the following characteristics:
- Love their school and community and are invested in stepping into their leadership to help students take action to make change for the greater good.
- Have built trust and a good relationship with their student nominee. Ideally, they have already witnessed and/or supported the student’s leadership.
- Are strong student advocates, allies, and mentors by being open, enthusiastic and supportive of student-led projects; are passionate about fostering student leadership.
- Can efficiently balance when to step up and back to ensure students feel supported while being given the opportunity to lead.
- Are invested in their own growth as an educator and recognize they already know a lot—and still have a lot to learn.
- Understand program expectations and have the capacity to take on additional commitments.
How to ask and nominate the right person:
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Solicit input from trusted students, school staff, your family, and people close to you on who to ask and select as your educator nominee.
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Set up time to meet with people you identified that meet our eligibility criteria and might
make a great nominee. Explain the program to them, review our website together, discuss the commitment. -
Identify a first and second choice nominee. Ask your first choice to be your educator nominee, explaining why you want to be a Bezos Scholar, and why you would like them to be your educator partner throughout the program. If they decline your invitation, move on to ask your second choice.
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Once someone agrees to be your educator nominee, enter their contact information into the educator nominee section of your application. We advise students use an educator’s personal and not school email in case school security settings block the email. They will then receive an email invitation to complete an online form on your behalf that ties to your application.
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Check in and make sure they meet the deadline, the sooner the better! Once they have completed it, both of you will receive an email confirming it has been submitted and was received on our end.
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Thank them and keep them updated on your application status, informing them that if you are selected as a finalist, they will be invited to participate in an informal interview with program staff. Student scholars’ acceptance is contingent upon the outcome of their interview and acceptance to joining the program.
What does the Educator Nominee Recommendation form entail?
The form asks educators to rate the student on the following selection
criteria, compared to other students they have worked with throughout their
career:
- Intellectual Curiosity: The applicant has the desire, willingness and drive to learn new things and explores information to think critically about answers to deeper questions. They have challenged their learning and have been accountable in school and other learning arenas.
- Demonstrated Leadership: While in high school, the applicant has been actively engaged as a collaborative leader in various ways and capacities, leading with empathy, compassion and perseverance.
- Readiness to Engage: The applicant has demonstrated solid leadership skills and is ready to further develop their skills in collaboration, problem-solving and civic impact. They are poised to take on the challenge of designing and implementing a student-led community change project.
The form also asks educators to complete the following short answer questions:
- Summarize why you are enthusiastically recommending this student for the program.
- Share one to two examples of how the student made a positive community impact that highlights their empathy, compassion and perseverance.
- From your honest assessment, share two areas for growth related to this student’s leadership style and/or skills.
STEP 7: Personal Information
This section asks you to complete basic demographic information about yourself, your background, location and how you learned about the program.
STEPS 8 & 9: Review and SUBMIT
Please review everything entered in the application, clicking on each section
to review copy and content, checking for errors and completion. Edit as needed
and once everything looks correct, make sure to click submit at the bottom
before the deadline! As a reminder, it is your responsibility to ensure that
educator nominee and recommender submit their forms by the application
deadline. Once this is done, you will receive a completion email letting you
know your entire application is complete.
An applicant can make edits to their application after it is submitted, as
long as it is before the deadline. To do so they need to:
- Log back into: apply.mykaleidoscope.com/login
- Click the “Applications” tab on the left-hand side of the screen,
- Scroll down to “Completed—Current Applications”
- Click the arrow next to “Review”
- Click one of the drop-down numbers and click “Edit”
STEP 10: Celebrate
CONGRATULATIONS! Your application for the Bezos Scholars Program is officially
complete. If you haven’t already, don’t forget to celebrate! Take a moment to
thank your support system, including your educator nominee who submitted a
form on your behalf, for their encouragement and help. And thank YOU for
dedicating time and energy to applying for this opportunity and for your
commitment to making a positive contribution to your community.
The selection committee will begin reviewing applications in February and all
applicants will be notified of their status by early March.
Remember, we’re here to help! Contact
scholars@bezosfamilyfoundation.org
for any questions. We are proud of you for completing the application and are
honored to consider you as a Bezos Scholar.
9 | Bezos Scholars Program
Application Guide