As the program director for the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship with fifteen-plus years selecting and working with the CDB Scholars and families, I’m asked this question more than any other, so I’m here to provide some inside information that you won’t find on High School Confidential or through the grapevine.

Every eligible CDB application is read thoroughly by at least two members of the CDB staff at the Institute for Educational Advancement and logged into our online data system, one folder for each CDB applicant. If any elements of the application are missing, we will e-mail the applicant well before the submission deadline. We also send a DEADLINE COMING UP!! e-mail to every applicant who has begun to fill out or worked on an application within three weeks of the deadline. Staff members evaluate each application individually with written notes pertaining to each element of the application as well as an overall score and assign a numeric to the applicant. This score is then added to an evaluation grid comprised of the totality of that year’s eligible CDB applications. This compilation is what the CDB staff uses to determine which applications will move forward to one of three national selection committees comprised of deans and directors of admission at selective high schools, colleges and universities throughout the United States, heads of independent schools, educators who work with gifted students and CDB alumni, two-three per committee. Our CDB Scholar alumni are outstanding ambassadors and having successfully gone through the application process themselves, quite capable of helping select the Finalists.

The selection committee meetings last two days and result in the selection of between 45-55 Finalists from across the country. These Finalists will be interviewed in person or via zoom (as occurred for the 2020 Scholar selection due to the pandemic restrictions on travel and in-person gatherings) throughout the summer with one or both of their parent(s) or guardian(s) present for a portion of the interview. From the Finalist pool, each year’s CDB Scholars will be selected early in September to begin working with the CDB staff to help find each Scholar’s optimal high school fit.

In reading and evaluating hundreds of CDB applications annually, here are some tips for prospective applicants:

We always offer choices in the essays to help applicants find areas that resonate with them academically and personally. We hope that you will use the 500 word count or a close approximation to elaborate on the given topic and help us get to know what drives and motivates you as an individual in response to the prompt. In my experience, it has rarely if ever been the case that a two or three sentence “essay” has the ability to wow. If anything, it feels to the readers that you’re completing the application under duress and not of your own volition.

By all means use engaging, sophisticated vocabulary and concepts IF you have a clear understanding of their correct usage. Few things stick out more to an experienced application reader than “big” words or phrases put in for effect rather than to enhance a thought or statement. Clunky word choice is not a note you want next to one of your essays.

If you identify as a math or STEAM/STEM person, you are not alone in this applicant pool, so what can you write to set yourself apart from the pack? Well, you can be creative with your words and describe what it is about math that excites and engages you, and you don’t need to be a wordsmith to accomplish this. As readers, my team and I look forward to understanding what drives and motivates an applicant to complete this long and complex application, so help us better understand you. There are few more positive notes I write than, “I want to meet this person and get to know him/her!” It means that you’ve successfully captured my attention through an aspect of your application that presents YOU as the unique individual you are in YOUR voice.

Select your recommenders with care. I cannot emphasize this enough. Since the recommenders—academic and professional—are required to submit their grids and comments directly to the scholarship, you won’t have the opportunity to see what’s been written about you. Few things can derail an otherwise solid application more than comments by someone YOU’VE chosen who either does not have positive things to say about you or who just goes through cursory motions to complete a form without providing any real insight or approbation to heighten your application. Make sure your recommenders are people who know you well and who have shown themselves to be supportive, encouraging, helpful mentors or role models—people who you admire and respect and who feel the same about wanting to encourage and support your CDB application, because they know you well enough to be a staunch supporter of your candidacy.

You are welcome to employ your parents or teachers as proofreaders, but the core ideas should be yours, as well as the writing of your essays, submission of your work sample and finalizing all aspect of the application components. The CDB application is meant to be a reflection of you as an applicant, not your parent. There is a one-page parent letter that should handle that aspect of the application. More to come on this element in the Parent Section of this blog.

If you describe yourself in your CDB application as a dancer or a musician or an artist or singer or inventor or photographer, by all means SHOW US, either as a work sample or in the additional information portal. This is less about you impressing us as a superstar and more about sharing your passion(s) with our team. It’s frustrating to repeatedly read about a special skill or area of interest in your application and not see any visual or oral indication of this element of you.

It is up to you—not your parent—to check in with your recommenders and school office to make sure that the materials they’re compiling for you —recommendations, standardized tests and transcripts—are submitted well within the CDB deadline. You don’t have to make a nuisance of yourself, but go about completing each element of the CDB application in a timely fashion, so you’re not driving everyone around you CRAZY with completing the application minutes or hours before it’s due.[blockquote text=”Make sure your recommenders are people who know you well and who have shown themselves to be supportive, encouraging, helpful mentors or role models—people who you admire and respect and who feel the same about wanting to encourage and support your CDB application, because they know you well enough to be a staunch supporter of your candidacy.” show_quote_icon=”yes” text_color=”#000000″ width=”90%” quote_icon_color=”#aa230d”] 

And now to the parent responsibilities…

While you are always welcome to call or email the CDB Scholarship team with questions or information that’s needed to help with the application, please do not word your questions to us as, “I’m completing the CDB application for my son or daughter.” This is a HUGE red flag for us as to the efficacy of your child’s application and not at all what you should be doing in regards to his or her submission.

As parents or guardians, you are offered a page to let us know about your son or daughter—what makes him or her unique, special talents, areas that perhaps only you as a parent see or know from having lived with this young person more than anyone else. Please don’t use this as a forum to reiterate what’s already been noted in other places of the application such as grades or awards received. This is meant to be your personal statement, and we always appreciate you staying within the one page limit without utilizing the smallest font and no margins top to bottom or side to side. We want to know as parents, what you see, know, feel and value about your child that you want to pass along to us. If you want to tell us about particular vulnerabilities or issues that your son or daughter has had to contend with or overcome, we look upon this as informational and not judgmental. Strengths and weaknesses as well as other aspects of character only help us round out the reality and clarity of an applicant. Perfect superstars as described by parents are immediately suspect to an experienced reader. If your child meets the CDB Scholarship eligibility criteria, by all means support their application, but please do not coerce, bribe or force the issue. The decision to apply—as well as complete and submit—a CDB application should be the responsibility of the applicant. As a parent, you can certainly support the process, but from the sidelines and not as a “co-writer.”

Finally, when decisions are made—whether it’s in selecting the Finalists or ultimately the annual CDB Scholars– please understand that in any competitive process, there will sometimes be results that are not to your liking or expectation. The decisions have less to do with what your child did “wrong” on his or her application or wasn’t “enough” in any given area and more with the reality that the CDB Scholarship draws an incredible, awe-inspiring applicant pool of truly stellar young people from all echelons of the seventh grade national gifted population. The selection process is one that the CDB team takes very, very seriously and meticulously as we evaluate and discuss hundreds of highly accomplished young people and always wish we had the resources to recognize many more of these highly accomplished young people than we are able to do each year with the 25-30 CDB Scholarships we award.

I can’t reiterate this enough, but the CDB team always looks at the multiple aspects of an application, not the singularity of test scores or an applicant’s GPA. Every Institute for Educational Advancement program is centered around the whole child—his or her academic, social, emotional and character-based aspects that all work together to comprise an exceptional individual who will find engagement and fulfillment as a Caroline D. Bradley Scholar within a cohort of peers, mentors and role models spanning selection since 2002.

Now through March 30, 2021, current seventh-grade students may apply for the scholarship. Students are required to complete a rigorous portfolio application process, which includes essays, middle school transcripts, two recommendations, and a work sample. Eligible applicants must also achieve scores at or above the 97th percentile on nationally normed standardized tests. The application can be found by clicking here. 

“A gifted and talented student needs a specialized education to truly reach their potential,” said Elizabeth Jones, President and Co-Founder of IEA. “By nurturing each student’s intellectual and personal needs, this scholarship helps shape the next generation of leaders.”

Three selection committees, comprised of a diverse group of nationwide high school and university admissions directors, CDB alumni, community members, business leaders, and IEA staff will meet both virtually and in-person to review scholarship applications. Due to COVID-19, students will only need to provide standardized test scores for the 2018-2019 school year. Standardized test scores are not necessary for students in programs that do not offer them, including home-schooled students.

The program, which began in 2002, is currently funded by The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. It is one of the few merit-based, need-blind scholarships of its kind in the United States. To date, IEA has awarded 349 scholarships to gifted learners and alumni who are already making their mark on the world. Currently, there are 196 alumni, 112 of whom have graduated from college and are in the work force, attending graduate school, or participating in international service and fellowship programs.

For more information about this scholarship or any of IEA’s other programs and services, visit www.ieastaging2.wpengine.com or follow us on social media:

• Facebook: @IEAGifted
• Twitter: @IEAGifted
• Instagram: @IEAGifted
• LinkedIn: Institute for Educational Advancement

About the Institute for Educational Advancement

The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) is dedicated to the intellectual, creative, and personal growth of our nation’s gifted and high-potential youth. Central to the mission of IEA is a commitment to the development of the whole child through engaging educational experiences that promote optimal challenge, mentorship, exploration of ideas, and recognition of personal potential. IEA seeks to connect like-minded individuals through dynamic and engaging year-round programming. Additionally, IEA supports a diverse community that creates a sense of belonging and affirmation. For more information, visit www.ieastaging2.wpengine.com.

About the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Program

IEA’s Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Program is one of the few U.S. high school scholarship programs that is need-blind and awarded based on merit to highly gifted seventh graders. Since its inception in 2002, the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship has served over 300 students with academic and social support, high school tuition and a lifelong network for mentorship and peer connections.

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We know so many seventh-graders are eager to apply for the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship, which offers a full scholarship to an optimally-matched high school or learning program for highly gifted students. The application process will begin soon but to get your creative juices flowing, we wanted to share info and tips about the reflective prompt section of the application.

The reflective prompt section of the application is where the applicant has a chance to show the scholarship committee who you are and what your passions are. Part A is mandatory and needs to be done in essay form. Part B consists of responding to two of the five prompt options. ONE of these responses can be a more creative approach and include a collage, artwork, audio, or video recording. The best way to attach this to your application is to include a hyperlink in a Word doc or PDF that links to either a Dropbox, Google Drive, or a similar platform. Be sure to include a brief explanation of what you are uploading. Essays should be 500 words or less. If you are answering the essay in a more creative approach, please make sure to let us know what essay question you are answering.

One thing to note: if in your essays you talk about an activity that you love to do, it would be in your best interest to show us that activity in the additional information section.

The prompts are below.

A. Mandatory

1. Describe the world you come from and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

B. Respond to two of the five following prompts:

1. We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, and responsibilities, some of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do for its own sake – simply because you like to do it.

2. Talk about an academic or intellectual subject you are passionate about and why. What about this topic excites you? How have you pursued this particular interest in or outside of school?

3. Tell us about an obstacle you have overcome or a challenge you have taken.

4. Include a photo of an image that speaks to you in a special way and tell us why.

5. What do you feel is lacking from your academic background?

Looking for more application tips? Check out this blog article from Bonnie Raskin, Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Manager.

The application will be available soon! Be the first to know when the application is open by signing up for IEA’s newsletter here.

My son is a 2014 Caroline D. Bradley Scholar (who graduated high school in 2019), and as such I am frequently asked to give advice to families who are considering applying for the CDB Scholarship. I have realized that I’m repeating myself, and so I wanted to note down the advice I always give. I hope to offer a better sense of the landscape, as of course it can feel shrouded in mystery if you are on the applicant’s side of the fence. 

First things first. To decide to apply means that you and your child are willing to take a risk that your child will put a lot of effort in, and, they might not be awarded the scholarship. Or, maybe they will be awarded. Taking on the application means some amount of living in this unknown for a while, and frankly, learning to breathe through the what-ifs, and importantly, helping your child do the same. Perhaps I’m stating the obvious, but I think it’s a kindness to say to people: yes, there can be some anxiety in it all as you wait around after submission. It is important to be kind to yourself — and to your child — as you wait. And to give your child the message that who they are, and their value, remain the same regardless of outcome.

One thing I always try to communicate up front to applicants is that the people who run the scholarship, and all of the folks at the IEA (Institute for Educational Advancement, Pasadena), are real people. They are kind people. This is not some lofty group of Judgers. It can bring a lot of ease to the process if this is made clear to your child from the start.

Expanding on that, it is important to understand the perspective of your child’s audience as they approach the application. The IEA was founded to support gifted kids as whole people, including their social and emotional selves. As such, the people at the IEA are all very interested in the whole picture. (Your family would be wise to explore the IEA’s website to get a sense of who they are, what they support, and their philosophy about supporting gifted kids.) Yes, it is a scholarship to support exceptional and gifted kids, and as such, the kids are accomplished and interesting in a variety of ways. But I think many take this to mean that all of the CDB Scholars have perfect SAT/ACT scores, or have all won amazing awards, or are all…perfectly something. Some one thing.

But the truth is, the people who run the scholarship are looking to build a class, much as a college does. So, the final group that is selected will reflect a variety of abilities and interests. Know that there are kids with perfect SAT/ ACT scores who do not receive the scholarship; perfection is not the defining qualification they seek. While they do look at numbers, and those numbers tell part of the story of your child, know that they are certainly not looking only at numbers. There will be some very STEM-y kids. There will be musicians. There will be historians. There will be artists. And any number of descriptors. Often the Scholars have a number of interests and abilities. But there is not just one defining profile of a CDB Scholar. Since these are gifted kids, the applicants do have good grades and probably impressive scores; but they do not all look alike.

That said, there are some basic underlying truths. It’s my observation that all of the Scholars are genuinely, enthusiastically engaged in whatever it is they’re engaged in. They have a spark. The thing or things that interest them make them come alive. They may have the high scores, or good grades, or be accomplished in areas, but they are doing whatever they do because it is an authentic interest or joy. This is key. There are many personality types. There are a fair amount of introverts (and so that spark may be a quiet one). There are extraverts. But they are all engaged in their lives.

(And a side note on that point. The Scholars are engaged in their lives because they are drawn to do so themselves; they are internally driven. This has not been a parent-driven development; they are not doing what they do because their parent wrote the script of their lives and handed it to them. Surely parents have helped and scaffolded — but this is in response to their kids. That scaffolding is in response to observing, asking questions, and following the child’s lead.)

The IEA knows that these kids are 12, 13. They do not expect these kids to be polished. They know that even if some of the kids do have some impressive accomplishments by the time they are that age, they still are looking a lot at potential. (Know that the IEA does understand asynchrony.) Does this kid follow a spark? Does this kid have a genuine enthusiasm for whatever they are interested in? Will this kid be able to take this enormous opportunity and keep expanding, keep growing, keep engaging? How does this kid move in the world? Does this kid move forward with agency? How does this kid approach learning, or any activity?

When it comes time to work on the application, then, what I always say is this: Be authentic.

This is where you reference what I said above. Your child does not need to try to be somebody else to be a CDB Scholar. In fact, if a child is trying to be someone else in the application, then it seems pretty certain to me they are unlikely to get it. It will be evident to the committee. Your child needs to be exactly him, her, themselves. They are presenting their genuine selves, not an idealized notion. It needs to be clear that the application is their work, in their voice. That is the only voice the IEA wants to hear — not a parent’s, not a consultant’s. And the child needs to know this. This will give them freedom that allows them to address the application well.

As the parent, you will have the chance to speak to the committee in your own statement. That is the place for your experience, your observation; that is the place for your parental voice as you tell about the child you know, as you tell the story of your child. As the parent, you have to walk a fine line with your involvement in the application process. You, as the adult, will have a larger perspective than your child could have — both regarding a view of who they are, but also regarding what it is to submit an application like this. You will be a necessary part of the equation, but as an ally, as a support. You are there to help them talk out what they want to say, maybe help with edits for clarity; to be the adult who has done applications before. But your main job as a parent in this process is to help your child express their own voice.

Many I have spoken with said that the application process was valuable. This has also been true for those whose children were not awarded the scholarship. Certainly, that outcome was disappointing for them, but they experienced value even with that. Here is what I experienced as an observing parent, and what I think has been true for others: arriving at the age of 12 or 13, this is often the first time the child has been asked to self-reflect. What a powerful process that can be. Use that. This is not just about “Do a great job on the application so you can win an award.” This is “Let’s take time so you can find your voice, show who you are, and what you enthusiastically run toward on your own. Let this be an opportunity for you to sit back and reflect on who you’ve become already, and who you want to become. And then express that.” Those who deeply engage in the process find they are changed by it.

I repeat: the folks at CDB are real people (friendly, kind, funny, compassionate people) who are looking to award real kids with the scholarship. They are people who really want to support gifted kids.

The most important thing is for the application to be an authentic representation of the kid. For the kid to be authentic in the process. They want the real thing, not what an anxious parent might think they want to see. Yes, the people who apply are very accomplished and bright, and so that all comes out, and does need to be presented (things done, awards won, recognitions, talents, passions, etc.). But really, they are looking for kids who are kind, have integrity, are creative: who are essentially good people. Good people who are enthusiastic about learning and their own passions and will take advantage of the scholarship. (The people at the IEA take the organization’s main tenets seriously. Passion, Creativity, Integrity, Perseverance. The kids who are awarded live those tenets as a natural part of who they are.) It’s not all about bells and whistles, though the Scholars have those. It’s who they are, along with the bells and whistles, that counts the most. The task is to show the committee who the child really is. Your child’s heart needs to come through. That is essential.

People ask my advice, and often it seems that they think I’m going to be able to give some nudge about how their particular kid should approach it. But I always come back to the same thing — everything I’ve written here. And often, after I repeat all of this, I see that parents have an awakened notion, and seem to feel relieved that the task at hand is not as mystery-laden or out of their range as they’d feared it was going to be. Because in the end, it’s about showing what is already true. You already know this. You just need to sit and ponder, ask your child to ponder, ponder out loud together, and let it come into clarity. Let who they are come into clarity. Jot notes. Have discussions. ‘Who am I? What do I love? What do I like to do in my free time? What excites me? What do I want for myself? For the world? How do I approach things?’ You have the opportunity to guide this awakening, and then sit back and let them go at it. Make sure your child knows that this is about communicating what they have already been doing: being themselves.

2020 Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Applications are due Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Click here to learn more.