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Leadership · service · civic engagement
Some of the largest scholarships reward what you have built and led — a club, a service project, a movement — more than your test scores. If you have shown up for your school or community, these are the awards that pay for it.
Leadership scholarships look for impact: students who started something, served their community, or led a team. National programs like the U.S. Senate Youth Program (which adds a $12,500 award plus a week in Washington), Coca-Cola Scholars, the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship, and the Jackie Robinson Foundation all weigh leadership and service heavily. Arizona's ASU Obama Scholars Program does the same for in-state students. The common thread: judges want a clear story of something you changed, not a list of titles.
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Things worth knowing
Lead with impact, not titles
Reviewers see thousands of "club president" lines. What wins is the change you drove: how many people, what shifted, what you built that outlasted you. Quantify it wherever you honestly can.
The Senate Youth Program is a nomination, not an open application
The U.S. Senate Youth Program runs through your state — only two students per state are selected each year, and it comes with a $12,500 scholarship. Ask your counselor or state department of education about Arizona's selection timeline early in junior or senior year.
One leadership story can power your whole application set
A single well-documented project — with photos, numbers, and a recommender who saw it — can anchor your Coca-Cola Scholars, GE-Reagan, Obama Scholars, and Common App essays at once. Depth beats breadth here.
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Want leadership experience close to home? See youth councils and commissions in Arizona.
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