Adventure Series Essay Contest
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA | CAROLINA MASTER SCHOLARS

2006 Essay Contest
The 2006 Scholarship Essay Contest accepted entries through Friday, April 7, 2006. The Essay Contest is no longer accepting entries for this year. Thank you for your interest, and best of luck to all of the students who submitted an entry this year!

Update

Students will be notified in writing of scholarship awards by Friday, May 5, 2006, and this site will be updated with a listing of the winners on or after that date.

For easy reference, information on the scholarships remains listed below, although we are not accepting additional entries for 2006. Please check our website beginning January 1, 2007, for information on next year’s contest. The contest is considered highly competitive.

The State newspaper and the University of South Carolina sponsored an essay contest for rising 6th – 12th graders to attend a one-week summer session at the acclaimed Carolina Master Scholars Adventure Series. Fourteen (14) $450 scholarships were available for Summer 2006. Although any South Carolina student wishing to compete in the contest was eligible, enrollment in the courses is restricted based on academic criteria. These scholarships cover the entire cost of a one-week Adventure Series program for a commuter student who applies for enrollment under the Early Bird option; for an additional $250-$350 (depending upon date of CMS application) scholarship winners may select to stay on campus and enjoy the week as a residential participant, or take part as a Day + Evening commuting participant.

In addition to the Essay a completed Entry Form is required, and both are required to be submitted at the same time.

Other Details:

Eligibility
The Carolina Master Scholars (CMS) Adventure Series Scholarship Essay Contest, sponsored by The State, was open to rising 6th – 12th graders who attend school in South Carolina. Fourteen scholarships were awarded to cover the cost of a commuting student’s enrollment in a single course. Students wishing to enroll as residential or commuter with the evening option were responsible for the cost difference associated with those options.

Judging, Awards and Notification
Essays were judged on substance, organization and quality, creativity/originality, grammar, spelling, and punctuation; preference was given to entries from students with limited financial means, although other criteria are the determining factors in judging. Fourteen (14) scholarships were awarded. Each winner received a $450 credit to attend a 2006 Carolina Master Scholars Adventure Series program held at the University of South Carolina. Winners will be/were notified by mail no later than May 5, 2006. Winners are required to complete an Adventure Series Application for Summer 2006 in addition to the Essay Contest Entry Form in order to enroll; enrollment in Adventure Series courses is limited. Every effort is made to accommodate each winner’s course preference; however in some cases students were granted scholarships for their second or third choice course.

Rights Associated with Contest
Winners grant to The State and the University of South Carolina the right to use their names and likeness in advertising and promotion without further compensation or permission, except where prohibited by law. All entries become the sole property of the University of South Carolina. Entrants agree to abide by the above stated rules, and warrant that their entry is their original work and does not infringe upon or violate rights of any third party, and grant The State and the University of South Carolina the right to edit, publish, promote, and otherwise use their entry materials without permission, notice or compensation. Essays and applications will not be returned.

Entry Instructions
Entry Form and Essay had to be received no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, April 7, 2006 . Submission of an essay does not guarantee acceptance into the CMS program, or available space in the student’s preferred course(s). Only one contest entry per person was accepted. Each essay must have been authored by an individual person, and must have been a unique work composed specifically for this Contest, in accordance with the following criteria:

Word Count. Essays must be 350-400 words. Word count includes: a, an, the. Word count does not include student name, essay title, or page header/footer.

Essay Format. Text must be printed legibly or typed in an 11 or 12 point font. If typed, essay should be double-spaced. Include your name on each page of the essay.

Entry Form. Essays had to be submitted along with the Entry Form, which had to be complete, printed legibly or typed, and signed by the student and parent/guardian.

Essay Topic. The essay must have addressed the following question/topic:

If you could conduct research into one challenge/disease/problem facing humankind, what would it be, and why?

READY TO LEARN MORE?
For more information on becoming a Carolina Master Scholar, please call USC Academic Enrichment and Conferences at 803-777-9444, send an email to confs@gwm.sc.edu , or check out these helpful links:

•  Summer 2006 Course Listing
•  Carolina Master Scholars
•  FAQ for Carolina Master Scholars Adventure Series
•  Sample Weekly Schedule
•  Parents Info