The Warrior Scholar Project

Student Lounge Veterans
1

<p>Hi vets! I want to spread the word about a new(ish) college skills program specifically tailored for veterans. It's called the "Warrior-Scholar Project", and it's a 2-week, intense course of study hosted during the summer at Yale, Harvard, and UMich. Working entirely off of donations and charitable contributions, the Warrior-Scholar staff teaches groups of up to 25 veterans per class how to succeed in an academic environment. When I say "intense", I mean intense! Class days typically start at 8, with an excellent breakfast at Morse Dining Hall (for the Yale) class, and can end anywhere from 10 to 14 hours later! That may seem daunting, but keep in mind that every instructor is volunteer faculty from the hosting school, so you are being taught by people who are among the absolute best in their field. We had classes taught by John Gaddis (2012 Pulitzer prize winner and foremost expert on the Peleponnesian war), Paul Solmon (Economist and host of "Making $ense" on PBS), and former adviser to Reagan, Charles Hill. It really is an all-star staff of teachers.</p>

<p>While the instruction is obviously on he forefront, just being in an elite college environment, even for a mere two weeks in summer, had a profound effect on us. Just being in and amongst high-achieving students made everyone want to succeed. For many of us, it kindled a desire for learning and achievement that we never knew we had! Several of us have gained acceptance to top schools since then, due in no small part to the project. Three of us are going to Columbia , at least one is going to Vassar, one to Dartmouth, and a smattering of others are going to top schools in their region. Oh, the WSP also participates in The Posse Program, which selects a cohort of high-achieving veterans every year for full scholarship to Vassar. Noteworthy WSP students can be nominated by the program for Posse selection, so that's just another bit of value that the WSP adds.</p>

<p>But the WSP isn't just about academics. The program directors bring in a whole host of guest speakers to talk about various aspects of college life and the challenges you may face. There is a whole series of dinnertime chats on the "de-greening" process, by which vets re-acclimate to the civilian world. Personally, it was very helpful hearing others share their experiences and frustrations about college and the regular world. It's tough for a lot of us, and knowing that you're not along in your struggles was a really positive message for a lot of guys, myself included. Other discussion topics include: writing a great admissions essay, searching for the right college, emotional intelligence, and a whole host of others. Personally, I got a LOT of mileage out of the admissions essay talk, and I regularly talk to the program tutors about essay editing and various other things.</p>

<p>You're probably wondering about cost right about now. Well, since the program is donor-funded, attendance is absolutely free. There is a competitive application process, but applications are still open, so it would behoove you to apply if you want to do something truly amazing this summer. I implore all you vets to check it out.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.warrior-scholar.org/"&gt;http://www.warrior-scholar.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>If you have any questions, feel free to ask!</p>

2

<p>Anyone know if the program covers travel costs? I’m sure this is an excellent program, but just curious since it’s limited to a couple campuses and that’ll make it harder for vets outside of the area to consider applying.</p>

3

<p>Transportation is on you, but if it’s especially cost-prohibitive, the staff will work with you to help defray some of the costs.</p>

<p>I ran into this exact problem last year, but the value of the education I received was so great that the end I didn’t even care. To me, it was well-worth the cost.</p>

4

<p>Did any other CC Vets apply? </p>

5

<p>Four guys from my school were accepted: 3 to the Yale class, and 1 to the Michigan class.</p>

6

<p>I just completed the WSP at Yale and I have to say the education I received in 2 weeks was incredible. The program is very intense and is designed to simulate what life would be like if you were moving into finals week at a top tier college with the stress of having to balance multiple classes. There were long nights when we were up writing papers while also doing reading assignments to get ready for a seminar in the morning. Its run mostly by Vets which was a huge plus. I am also a Posse Scholar and found this program very helpful as I start at Wesleyan this fall. Even though I had to cover my travel costs I found this program highly beneficial. I would definitely recommend it to anyone especially if you have not been accepted to college yet. The inside information we received from admission staff and the support we got for writing admissions essays was invaluable. Had I not already been accepted to Wesleyan through the Posse Program, after taking this course I would definitely feel comfortable shooting for an Ivy League school or equivalent. </p>

7

<p>So, I’ve looked further into this program and am very much interested in applying for admittance into the summer 2015 course, but am having trouble finding clarification as to whether this is strictly for veterans who are already out of the military or if current active-duty personnel who intend to exit the military in order to return to higher education are allowed to apply.</p>

<p>I won’t be leaving the military until the summer of 2016, but am intent on applying to universities in late 2015 / early 2016 for the 2016 fall semester; therefore, I would love to be able to attend this program before I begin the application process. Is this possible?</p>

8

<p>You can attend if you are active duty. Two guys in my class did it.</p>

9

Hi, I am very excited to participate. I just got out of the military and I am starting Fall semester at my school soon. I took one summer class already. I don’t have time before Fall, but I want to go to Warrior-Scholar Project in California before my Spring semester begins (in the middle of January.) They haven’t posted dates for that far in the future.

I am very motivated to be a good student, but I’m not sure how to get to the highest level. I definitely don’t know about how to make myself a competitive candidate for top schools like Ivies, Stanford, or Berkeley. Any advice on how to prepare for the course? Anything I should read? Is there anything special that Warrior-Scholar Project inspired you to do?