Eighth grade boys and girls who are in exemplary academic and disciplinary standing and are involved in the community are invited to apply for our Leader/Scholar Award!

Students who are chosen as Leader/Scholars enjoy a four-year leadership training and development program during their time at St. Laurence. In addition to exclusive leadership opportunities, recipients of this award will receive a renewable four-year scholarship worth $1250 per year.

To be considered for the award, you MUST:

• Identify yourself as someone who has outstanding leadership qualities
• Have a minimum G.P.A. of 3.5 during your seventh grade year and no grade lower than a B (3 for standards based) in your core classes which consist of English, Math, Science, History, and Religion, if applicable.
• Be involved in at least two extracurricular activities in your school or community
• Have an exemplary disciplinary record at your present school
• Take the Entrance Exam at St. Laurence on Saturday, December 7, 2024 and score within the top 50% of testers

The nomination form is the first part of the process – if you do not fill it out, you will not be considered for the award. Parent nominations will not be accepted. Additionally, please note that students must create a Gmail account in order to submit their nomination.

Upon filling out the nomination form, you will receive an email from leaderscholar@stlaurence.com with the official application. All required elements must be uploaded in order to submit the application. The application cannot be completed without the following:

• Student personal gmail account - This is necessary for correspondence and uploading documents. School emails cannot be used as they will not accept incoming emails from outside the school. Enter this email account on the form.
• GPA
• Leadership Essays (200-500 words) in response to the following prompts:
  -Write about a time when you responded to leadership in your life. What made you decide to listen to the leader you encountered? (Rubric) -AND-Many great leaders are determined and committed to their causes. Write about something that you feel passionate about—and then explain how you could lead others to also care about your cause. This essay cannot be about athletics. (Rubric) (Essays should be well done with no grammatical or spelling errors. Both should be completed in a single Google Doc)
• One letter of recommendation from a teacher (7th or 8th grade math, science, English or social studies) or current school administrator.
• A copy of your final grades from 7th grade and any grade reports from this year.
• A 2-3 minute video answering the question “Would you follow you?” Your video should explain how you demonstrate leadership in each aspect of your life: family, school and community. In addition, provide ideas about how you will serve as a leader at St. Laurence. Feel free to get creative! (Rubric)

Incomplete applications will not be eligible for submission. If the student meets the criteria, he or she will schedule a 15 minute interview slot which will take place on Sunday, February 23rd, 2025. If they are chosen as a Leader/Scholar, they will be invited to an induction ceremony in March.

Nominations must be submitted by Monday, November 11th 2024.

Applications will be accepted until Friday, November 22nd 2024.

Interviews will take place on Sunday, February 23rd, 2025.

Leader/Scholar Program inductees will be announced after the interviews.

Any questions should be directed to: Leaderscholar@stlaurence.com

Statement of Fairness

St. Laurence High School abides by all applicable policies of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the IHSA. In doing so, St. Laurence High School does not promise or offer athletic scholarships of any kind. Violations of IHSA policies may result in loss of eligibility for the student, coach and/or school. In recognition of our shared ministry, St. Laurence High School also does not promise, predict or otherwise allude to specific dollar amounts regarding tuition assistance or financial aid before a student takes the entrance exam. St. Laurence High School promotes the best attributes of our school while respecting the legacy and traditions of other Catholic high schools.