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Youth Leadership Summit Tips for a Successful Application

General Guidelines

1. Be neat. If possible, type the application. If you are unable to type it, print in clear, legible ink.
   
2. Be precise. Be sure to read over your application and have a teacher or counselor do so as well. Look for spelling or grammatical errors, missing information, or other mistakes.
   
3. Be thorough. Remember that the person reading your application is not familiar with your school or activities. Be sure to list everything that you are involved in, and be descriptive. Don't use abbreviations for activities, either. For example, writing "2008 YLS Scholar" doesn't mean much to someone who isn't aware that YLS stands for Youth Leadership Summit.
   
4. Include three copies of your transcript. Be sure to request transcripts well in advance from your guidance counselor. Your grades and coursework will be looked at in detail, so it's very important to include a complete high school transcript and not just a grade report or report card.
   
5. Be early. Getting your application in ahead of the deadline allows you more time to collect missing information if it turns out something is missing.
   
6. Submit your completed application and two copies on three hole-punched paper. We ask that you include three copies of your completed application on three-hole punched paper. One of the three copies should be the original application with original signatures of your references, parent/guardian, director, and yourself. Please note that your application will not be processed if it does not have all the necessary signatures.
   
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The Personal Statement

1. Be creative! This is your chance to stand out and let the readers get to know you. Writing a distinctive yet professional essay allows the evaluators to learn more about your personality, and also helps you stand out. Last year we received almost 300 applications, but all of the readers clearly remembered the personal statements of the thirty scholars who were selected.
   
2. Follow the guidelines. The essay should be on the topic listed and should be between 300-500 words. Essays that are too long or too short may be discounted.
   
3. Be neat. Personal statements should be typed and included as an attachment. Be sure to spell check the document, and have a teacher read over it to check for errors in grammar. Make sure you edit carefully!
   
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References

1. Use required forms. Be sure to use the scholar reference forms found at the end of the application.  Every reference needs to complete this form for us to process the application. If you need additional copies, you may download them here.
   
2. Pick good recommenders. The readers are looking for a solid reference that details your personal strengths and characteristics. For this reason, it is important to make good selections about who is recommending you. A vague letter from a high level administrator is not as impressive as a thorough evaluation from your assistant coach.
   
3. Ask early. Most working professionals are very busy people with a lot of responsibility. This means that it isn't always easy for them to drop everything and write a complete reference for a student. Be sure to give your recommenders plenty of time to complete the reference, and make sure they are aware of your deadlines.
   
4. Help them out. Teachers and counselors who are asked to write letters of reference are frequently some of the most popular and well liked in their school. This means that they probably know a lot of students, and may not remember details about every one. In order to make sure that your reference highlights your strengths, provide your recommender with a copy of your resume, transcript, personal statement, and information about the Youth Leadership Summit. This way they have all the tools they need to write you a stellar reference.
   
5. Encourage letters. The reference form has space available for your recommender to write about you, but you should encourage them to write a separate letter if they can. This allows them to go into more detail about how they came to know you and what your talents are.
   
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