Schulich Leader Scholarship - VSS Nomination
Schulich Leader Scholarships are Canada’s most coveted undergraduate STEM scholarships.
Fifty are awarded to entrepreneurial-minded high school graduates enrolling in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Math program at 20 partner universities across Canada. Twenty-five are valued at $100,000 for engineering scholarships and 25 are valued at $80,000* for science and math scholarships.
Every high school in Canada can nominate one graduating student each year to apply for the scholarship.
The Ideal Nominee:
Schulich Leader Scholarships are Canada’s most coveted undergraduate STEM scholarships.
Fifty are awarded to entrepreneurial-minded high school graduates enrolling in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Math program at 20 partner universities across Canada. Twenty-five are valued at $100,000 for engineering scholarships and 25 are valued at $80,000* for science and math scholarships.
Every high school in Canada can nominate one graduating student each year to apply for the scholarship.
The Ideal Nominee:
- Achieves academic excellence
- Exhibits leadership, creativity & charisma
- Likely has financial need (although not necessary, it is strongly considered)
- Plans to pursue a career in one or more of the following focus areas:
- Technology
- Engineering
- Entrepreneurship & Business Enterprise
- Applied Scientific Research
- Technology
- Essays & components of application show the applicant is:
- Entrepreneurial-minded
- Innovative
- Focused on developing technology
- Focused on entrepreneurship & business enterprise
- Entrepreneurial-minded
- You will NOT be considered if you:
- Focus on activism (environmental/political/societal)
- Intend to become a practising physician and/or medical researcher (e.g. Doctor, Dentist, Nurse, Psychologist, Pharmacist, Optometrist etc.)
- Intend to become a Professor and conduct theoretical research
- Focus on activism (environmental/political/societal)
VSS Nomination Deadline is November 30th of each year.
BC Excellence Scholarship - VSS Nomination
The BC Excellence scholarship is awarded to 55 high school graduates who have demonstrated service and leadership, both at school and in their communities, and who show aptitude for and commitment to their chosen career or area of post-secondary study.
Students selected for this award receive a $5,000 scholarship voucher from the Ministry of Education and Child Care that they can use to be reimbursed for tuition paid after they are attending a post-secondary institution that is designated by the Province of B.C. (i.e., approved for Canada Student Loans) or a program provider that is approved by SkilledTradesBC.
Students have five years to redeem their BC Excellence scholarship vouchers; an expiry date is printed on each voucher and extensions are not possible
Eligibility requirementsStudents selected as conditional recipients of the BC Excellence scholarship must meet the following requirements by August 31 of their graduating year to be confirmed as a recipient and receive their scholarship voucher:
How applications are evaluated
How to prepare (overview) -
Students interested in applying for the 2024 awards year are encouraged to get organized well before applications are due in February 2024.
The BC Excellence scholarship is awarded to 55 high school graduates who have demonstrated service and leadership, both at school and in their communities, and who show aptitude for and commitment to their chosen career or area of post-secondary study.
Students selected for this award receive a $5,000 scholarship voucher from the Ministry of Education and Child Care that they can use to be reimbursed for tuition paid after they are attending a post-secondary institution that is designated by the Province of B.C. (i.e., approved for Canada Student Loans) or a program provider that is approved by SkilledTradesBC.
Students have five years to redeem their BC Excellence scholarship vouchers; an expiry date is printed on each voucher and extensions are not possible
Eligibility requirementsStudents selected as conditional recipients of the BC Excellence scholarship must meet the following requirements by August 31 of their graduating year to be confirmed as a recipient and receive their scholarship voucher:
- meet core eligibility requirements;
- be eligible for a B.C. Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma);
- fulfill the requirements of the B.C. Graduation Program; and,
- have the following final marks.
- Minimum “B” average in grades 11 and 12 courses required for graduation
- Minimum "B" (73% or above) in Language Arts 12
- Minimum “B” average, no more than one "C+" (67% or above), and no marks lower than “C+” in courses that fulfill graduation requirements for Science 11 or 12, Math 11, and Social Studies 11 or 12
How applications are evaluated
- Written statements are assessed by a team of B.C. teachers using the marking guidelines
- Approximately 80 candidates are shortlisted
- The resume for those shortlisted candidates are assessed by a different team of B.C. teachers, using the same marking guidelines
- Fifty-five students are selected by consensus as conditional recipients
How to prepare (overview) -
Students interested in applying for the 2024 awards year are encouraged to get organized well before applications are due in February 2024.
- Understand students must be nominated by their secondary school to qualify for this scholarship and each school may nominate one student only - Valleyview invites students to submit applications by November 30th of each year through a Google Form.
- Check out the sample of the 2023 BC Excellence scholarship application (PDF)
- Note that this is an example only; next year’s version is subject to change
- Keep in mind the required information you will need to submit online in February 2024
- Nomination form completed by your school
- Written statement
- The written statement is worth 60% in the overall assessment of the application; all written statements are assessed, and those assessments are used to shortlist applications
- Resume (in mandatory online format)
- The resume is worth 40% in the overall assessment of the application; only resumes from shortlisted applications are reviewed
- Reference letters (2)
- One community-related (such as a community leader, coach, instructor, volunteer supervisor, or employer)
- One school-related (such as a teacher, counsellor, school principal, or vice-principal)
- The marking team does not mark the reference letters but does consider them when scoring resumes
- Look for the online application to open in late Fall 2023
- Plan to meet all eligibility requirements
VSS Nomination Deadline is November 30th of each year.