Scholarship Awarding University:
Type of degree:
Bachelor’s
Scholarship Deadline:
Applications for this scholarship will end on the 1st of February, 2025
Scholarship Summary:
The St. Lawrence Vilas Scholarship is a competitive scholarship awarded to domestic freshman students who want to complete a St. Lawrence University liberal arts education as preparation for a career in business. The Vilas scholarship assists students financially, but also guides Vilas Scholars as they establish themselves within the St. Lawrence alumni network, expanding their connections to countless business-related fields.
It should be noted that this scholarship does not require students to declare a major in Business in the Liberal Arts, though it does assist and incline them towards the field.
Scholarship Applicant Criteria:
To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must;
i. Be incoming US first-year students who are looking to have a career in business or interested in entrepreneurship
Value of Scholarship:
The Vilas Scholarship is valued as $35,000 per year, totalling $140,000 over four years.
Scholarship Application Guide:
To apply;
i. Domestic students interested in applying for the Vilas scholarship must submit a complete admission application and Vilas Scholarship essay by February 1. Students who plan to apply for the Vilas Scholarship should submit their scholarship essay at the same time that they are submitting their overall application to St. Lawrence.
ii. The Vilas Scholarship essay, should be in response to the following prompt:
You have $1,000,000 to put towards a business. You have two choices:
Option 1: Invest your money in an existing business (not a non-profit).
Option 2: Use the money to become an entrepreneur and start a business of your own.
Essays must be at least 250 words (a half-page single-spaced or a full-page double-spaced). Shorter essays will not be considered.
iii. Six Vilas applicants are selected as semi-finalists and receive an invitation to New York City as guests of the University in early-March. During this event, semi-finalists will interview with an alumni and trustee selection committee. These six students will be contacted in mid-February and notified of their semi-finalist status. Those applicants who are not selected as semi-finalists will not be contacted.
iv. All applicants who attend the NYC semi-finalist interviews will be notified of the scholarship outcome in their letter of admission, which is sent in March. Two or three finalists are typically awarded the Vilas Scholarship, distinguishing themselves as Vilas Scholars.
Scholarship Website:
Find further information on this scholarship opportunity at the St. Lawrence Vilas Scholarship Page.