Hello everyone! Last year I applied to the program and got accepted to the interview process. The interviews ended up being canceled, so there is not a ton of advice that I can give. The applications are out for this year, and you will need to email your local director if you haven’t received one already. I’m not sure really how to speak on passing the application stage, because I assume each state has different competitiveness. Here’s what I will say: I got accepted to the interview process before the application deadline. So turn it in early! However, the director of my state still did say that many do not make it to the interview process. Not really sure what else will be helpful, but I’ll tell you about my application. I had 6 community involved/volunteering activities and 8 extra-curricular activities. I had a 4.0 gpa. My essay was about daily leadership, about how everyone can be a leader. It also talked about how leaders stand up and inspire change. Other than that, I can’t really speak on anything else. Good luck!