Unlike most scholarships, the Dell Scholars Program does not rely heavily on exceptional grades, but focuses on a student's academic potential. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must achieve a 2.4 grade point average or higher, take part in a college readiness program that is approved by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation---such as Advanced Placement Strategies and College Forward---and show a need for financial assistance to attend college.
The application process requires students to demonstrate in a series of questions and short essays individual determination, the ability to overcome past and current hardships, self-motivation, future goals and the path to achieving those goals. The deadline for the application process is in January each year.
Since 1955, students taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test have been eligible to win a National Merit Scholarship. This scholarship awards either a one-time amount of $2,500 to a college-bound student or renewable college-sponsored and corporate-sponsored scholarships, which range from $500 to $2,500. After taking the PSAT/NMSQT test, students with the highest scores, an average of 50,000 students a year, qualify for the program. Students must be citizens of the United States at the time of the test to be eligible for the scholarship; however, permanent residents who intent to become citizens are also eligible.
The process for this scholarship begins in April at least year before high school graduation, with the selection of approximately 15,000 semifinalists. These students then fill out an application that includes an essay, letters of recommendation, test scores, academic records and involvement in student activities. This application determines the elite group of finalists. The scholarship winners come out of the group of finalists.
The Best Buy @15 program offers scholarships of $1,000 to high school studentss planning to attend college. The program awards 1,000 of these scholarships to students who live either in the United States or Puerto Rico. The scholarship is open to all students, whether they are enrolled in private, public or alternative schools or even if they are home-schooled. Students must be planning to attend college in the first fall semester after their high school graduation, and they must show exceptional grades, a work history and community volunteering history.
These scholarships are awarded once per student and must be applied for online at the scholarship's website. No essay is required. The filing period ends yearly in February.