The Cameron Impact Scholarship is an exciting opportunity for passionate high school students who want to make a difference in the world. With up to $50,000 available to recipients, this scholarship enables young leaders to pursue their dreams of creating positive change.
As the March 2024 application deadline approaches, many students are eager to learn more about the Cameron Impact Scholarship and how they can put together a competitive application. This guide will provide an in-depth look at everything you need to know, from eligibility criteria to writing a compelling personal statement.
Introduction to the Cameron Impact Scholarship
David Cameron, the former British Prime Minister, established the Cameron Impact Scholarship in 1998. Its mission is to support young people who have a vision for driving social change on a local, national, or international scale.
Each year, 5-10 students are awarded the scholarship based on their exceptional leadership potential, commitment to service, and a concrete plan for enacting social change during and after their undergraduate years.
The scholarship covers the full cost of tuition, room and board at the recipient’s preferred university, up to $50,000 per year for four years. This funding allows recipients to fully concentrate on their studies, extracurricular activities, and future goals without being hindered by financial constraints.
In addition to financial assistance, Cameron Scholars have access to networking, mentoring, and skill-development opportunities. These resources can help scholars expand their projects and prepare for postgraduate success.
Eligibility Criteria
To apply for the Cameron Impact Scholarship 2024, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Current high school student graduating in 2024
- Planning to enroll full-time at an accredited four-year college or university in the US
- Demonstrate strong leadership experience and potential through extracurriculars, volunteer work, or employment
- Possess a track record of service activities and commitment to social betterment
- Have a concrete plan for driving social change during college and beyond
- Display critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills
- Exhibit passion, perseverance, and resilience in pursuing goals
- Show financial need
The scholarship is merit-based, but to be considered, your annual family income must not exceed $95,000.
Cameron Scholars represent diverse backgrounds, interests, and visions for change. There is no minimum GPA requirement. Selection is based on your demonstrated leadership, service commitment, and potential for impact.
The Application Process
The Cameron Impact Scholarship application opens in November and closes in March each year. The process involves submitting an online form with the following components:
| Components | application process |
|---|---|
| General student information | Name, contact details, high school, intended college major(s), and more. |
| Short answer questions | Responses to prompts about your interests, leadership experience, service impact, future goals, and how you meet the scholarship criteria. |
| Essays | A 500-word personal statement explaining your vision for social change and qualifications. And a 250-word essay on a social justice issue you care about. |
| Recommendation letter | One letter from a teacher, counselor, coach, employer, or community leader evaluating your leadership and highlighting your strengths/impact. |
| Transcript | An official high school transcript documenting your academic achievements. |
| FAFSA | A copy of your completed FAFSA form verifying financial need. |
The concise personal statement and essay allow you to share your passion, perspectives, and plans. Be specific when describing your vision for change, key experiences, and how you’ll create impact.
Strong applications paint a full picture of well-rounded changemakers prepared to make their mark. All materials must be submitted through the online portal by 11:59 pm EST on March 31, 2024.
Recommendations and transcripts can be uploaded directly within the application when prompted, or emailed to the Foundation at admin@bryancameronef.org. Please send only two recommendation letters.
Putting Together a Strong Application
Here are some top tips for making your Cameron Impact Scholarship application stand out:
Highlight your vision for change. What specific issues do you want to address? How will you drive impactful change on campus, in your community, or globally? Share your big-picture vision.
Bring your goals to life with details. Avoid vague statements about helping people. Provide concrete examples of how you will create positive change around specific issues.
Showcase significant leadership experience. Describe leadership positions you held, key contributions you made, and skills you gained. Demonstrate growth over time.
Focus on service impact. It’s not just about volunteering. How did you assess community needs and expand your impact over time? What did you accomplish?
Align your activities with your goals. Illustrate how your experiences have fueled your passion and prepared you to achieve your change-making goals.
Emphasize achievements. How have you gone above and beyond expectations to drive change and exemplify Cameron Scholar’s qualities?
Get personal in your essay. Share anecdotes that provide insights into your motivations, obstacles overcome, and defining moments. Let your personality shine.
Set yourself apart. Highlight unique aspects of your vision, background, leadership style, and approach to change. Capture your distinct perspective and voice.
Convey maturity and thoughtfulness. Demonstrate critical thinking, nuanced perspectives on social issues, and ability to understand complex problems.
Check for consistency. Make sure descriptions of your activities, goals, and vision align across all parts of your application.
Following these tips can help you submit an application that brings your changemaker spirit and full potential to life.
The Selection Process
The Cameron Impact Scholarship receives thousands of applications every year, so the selection process is highly competitive. Here is an overview of how recipients are chosen:
Application review – A selection committee thoroughly reviews all completed applications submitted by the March deadline. They assess applicants’ demonstrated leadership, service commitment, potential for impact, and strength of the full application.
Interviews – Based on paper applications, approximately 100 semifinalists are selected for video interview in April. The committee conducts one-on-one interviews to further evaluate candidates.
Selection – By early May, 5-10 finalists are chosen as Cameron Impact Scholars based on their application quality, interview performance, and overall assessment of leadership potential and qualifications.
Notification – Finalists are notified by phone and email. Those not selected receive emailed notifications thanking them for applying.
The Cameron Impact Scholarship seeks well-rounded high school students who think big, lead effectively, serve passionately, persevere, and have clearly defined visions for driving impact at the undergraduate level and beyond.
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Benefits for Cameron Scholars
Being named a Cameron Impact Scholar is a tremendous honor that provides transformative financial, skill-building, and networking benefits:
Full scholarship – Up to $50,000 annually covers tuition, housing, meals, books, and fees at the accredited US university of your choice. Enables focus on changemaking.
Career mentorship – Gain insight into social impact career paths through the mentor matching program that connects scholars with professionals.
Annual summit – An all-expenses-paid trip to the 5-day Cameron Scholars Summit with networking, speakers, and workshops.
Ongoing training – Webinars and resources on leadership, project planning, networking, social entrepreneurship, and leveraging scholarship opportunities.
Prestigious designation – Recognition as a Cameron Scholar can open doors academically and professionally due to the highly selective nature of the program.
Lifelong community – Cohort of peers who inspire and support your changemaking journey during college and beyond.
For driven student leaders passionate about enacting social change, the Cameron Impact Scholarship represents an unprecedented opportunity to turn ambitions into reality without financial limitations holding you back.
Tips for Current High School Sophomores and Juniors
For students who will graduate high school in 2025 or 2026, the Cameron Impact Scholarship may seem far away. But laying the groundwork now by proactively building your leadership profile, service impact, and changemaking plans can help strengthen your candidacy down the road.
Here are some suggestions for sophomores and juniors aspiring to apply for the Cameron Impact Scholarship in the future:
- Research social issues and causes aligned with your interests. Explore potential change-making paths.
- Seek out substantive leadership roles in student government, clubs, sports teams, or volunteer organizations.
- Initiate, lead, or expand service projects to address real community needs.
- Apply for summer enrichment programs focused on changemaking, social innovation, or leadership.
- Develop public speaking, team building, project management, and persuasive writing skills.
- Join school or non-profit boards, committees and task forces to build your impact.
- Document your activities, achievements, and growth over time to illustrate your journey.
- Build relationships with potential recommenders like teachers, coaches and community leaders.
- Conceptualize your long-term vision for social change and steps to make progress.
Pursuing meaningful activities and gaining diverse experiences in areas like the above will position you for success when the time comes to apply for the Cameron Impact Scholarship.
Looking Ahead to the Future
Since its inception in 1998, the Cameron Impact Scholarship has empowered over 300 exceptional high school students to enact meaningful social change. As the world evolves, the scholarship continues adapting to support the next generation of changemakers.
Looking ahead, the Cameron Impact Scholarship aims to be more accessible and inclusive. Some potential changes under consideration for future cycles include:
- Streamlining the application to reduce barriers.
- Offering application fee waivers.
- Expanding scholarships to up to 20 recipients per year.
- Increasing the family income eligibility limit.
- Offering micro-scholarships for finalists who don’t receive the full scholarship.
- Providing student loan relief rather than full scholarships at some schools.
- Adding awards specifically for community college students.
While the core mission of developing youth leaders committed to service will remain unchanged, the scholarship may continue evolving to break down barriers and empower even more changemakers.
As current high school students, the future of the Cameron Impact Scholarship is in your hands. Current Cameron Scholars are already providing input to the selection committee on how to expand opportunities for future classes.
Whether you apply this year or in 2025 and beyond, pursuing big dreams and working to change the world for the better will lead to an impact far beyond any scholarship. By coming together and supporting each other, young leaders can build the more just, sustainable, and inclusive future we all seek.
NOTE: INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED OR CONSIDERED.
Website
To learn more about the Cameron Impact Scholarship, please visit the official website.
