The Reach Cambridge scholarship essay competition is designed for academically excellent high school students aged between 15 and 17 who would otherwise not be able to attend our summer programs. Please note that this scholarship competition is not for application to the University of Cambridge.

What are the prizes?

Full scholarship:

A fully-funded scholarship prize for one of our 2-week Programs.

Full Scholarships available in 2020:

• Summer: Up to 3 scholarships available
• Spring: Up to 6 scholarships available

Partial scholarship: A partially funded (50%) scholarship prize for one of our 2-week Programs in either Spring or Summer 2020.

Please note that both prizes include all those items ordinarily covered by the program fee. They do not include the cost of flights, or other items which are not ordinarily covered by the program fee. See terms & conditions for further details.

What is the essay question and what else will be taken into consideration?

The essay question for this year’s scholarship competition is:

“If you had a billion dollars to invest in your country, what would you invest in and why?”

To craft a good essay requires careful argumentation, clear structure and personality. It is these characteristics that we will look for in judging applicants’ essays. We will also take into account the letter of recommendation supplied by your school and the short video personal statement.

To read more on how to write a good essay, visit our blog.

How do I enter?

In order to enter the competition, follow these simple steps to complete a full application by 23:00 GMT on 17^th November 2019.

• Follow the link below to set up a Reach Cambridge scholarship account (do not use the “apply” button at the top right of our website – you cannot set up a scholarship account through that link)
• From your main account page, select the “Scholarship” tab on the left.
• Copy your essay into the box provided (the word limit is 1000 words).
• Your school must also write a signed letter of recommendation to be uploaded to your account. This should be written on headed paper, and should outline why you are a good candidate for the scholarship: it should tell us what makes you academically excellent, and it must give us some indication of your financial circumstances. For example, if you attend a fee-paying school, the letter must specify whether you attend the school on a scholarship, or whether you are full or part fee-paying. It must include contact details for the member of staff so that we can contact them for further information if necessary. This is the only part of the application that should come from your school – the rest needs to be completed by you.
• A short (up to 3 minute long) video should be submitted in the form of a YouTube link as your personal statement. It is a chance for you to tell us a bit about yourself, why you think you are the best scholarship candidate and how a scholarship for a Reach Cambridge program will affect your life.
• You must also complete all sections in your personal dashboard (e.g. School Info, Parent Info etc). Please note that if you do not complete all these sections of your application, we will not consider your application. They should all be “ticked” on your account page before the deadline.
• Due to the number of applications received, we are unable to notify unsuccessful candidates.
• Shortlisted candidates will be notified by 10th December 2019, and will be invited for an online interview.
• If you have any additional questions, please email [email protected].

Please ensure you read the scholarship essay competition terms and conditions before applying. By submitting an application you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FOR 2020

Scholarship Essay Competition Terms & Conditions:

• Applicants must be between the ages of 15 and 17 on 17^th November 2019, and currently studying at high school.
• The students must complete the essays independently – they must be original, non-plagiarised work.
• The closing date for scholarship applications is 17^th November 2019 at 23:00 GMT. We will only consider full applications submitted by this date. A full application is one that includes an answer to the essay question and all other questions on the “Scholarship” tab, the letter of recommendation from your school, link to the video personal statement and also has all other sections completed on the account page.
• Applicants from fee-paying schools will only be considered if their letter of recommendation confirms that they attend the school on a scholarship.
• The prizes provide, without charge, all those items ordinarily covered by the program fee, including accommodation, all excursions, lectures, theatre trips, workshops and tuition, and half board meals.
• These prizes do not include those items which are not ordinarily covered by the program fee: flights; transportation to/from Cambridge at the start and end of the program if travel is undertaken independently; third meal of the day (half board is provided); optional enhancements shown to have an extra fee (such as taster courses and add-ons); snacks, drinks and meals purchased away from the program; pocket money and souvenirs; books for credit courses and classes; laundry (aside from bed linen); travel insurance, medical insurance and any medical or dental fees.
• It is not guaranteed that Reach Cambridge will offer scholarship prizes to any of the candidates. Reach Cambridge reserves the right to not award scholarship prizes.
• Successful candidates may be offered a program that is different to their original preference. We will try wherever possible to match up your subject choice if we do need to offer a different program.
• Shortlisted candidates will be notified by 10^th December 2019.
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an online interview in early January, and will be notified of the outcome by the end of January.
• The author of the students’ recommendation letter may be contacted for further information.
• The final decision on prize-winners rests with Reach Cambridge Ltd. By submitting an application for the scholarship the student agrees to respect and honour the decision made by Reach Cambridge.
• By submitting an application to the scholarship competition, the student agrees to assist with promoting the scholarship scheme if awarded a prize.
• The successful applicant also agrees to their name being published on the Reach Cambridge website, as well as on its social media pages.
• The student must have permission from a parent or guardian to accept the scholarship. Scholarship prizes are conditional on parental approval – a parent/guardian will be required to sign a declaration that they accept the Reach Cambridge terms and conditions and rules and regulations.
• By applying for this scholarship, the student agrees to abide by the Reach Cambridge terms and conditions and rules and regulations, available on our website, as well as these scholarship terms and conditions
• Students do not have to pay a deposit before applying for the scholarship.
• Please note that all terms and conditions for Reach Cambridge courses, including the cancellation policy, also apply for scholarship applicants.

Scholarship Link