<p>Probably a lot less than you think - it just happens that being “poor” doesn’t mean one automatically thinks application fees shouldn’t exist. You can count me in the poor category, though - I even had to submit my Free/Reduced Lunch notice to be able to apply; you likely are eligible too, if you look at their requirements.</p>
<p>The thing is, you don’t “earn” a scholarship, though, you’re awarded it - after your application is reviewed and judged by likely more than a couple of people (and glancing over an essay is a lot easier than viewing/reading/listening to over 11,000 art submissions). And it’s not just a scholarship - you’re applying for the top prize of being able to attend YoungArts week and work under a professional in your discipline. So, if you have to pay to apply to colleges, and you have to pay to apply to similar camps, I’d generally expect to have to pay to apply to a competitive scholarship and arts program - especially one not geared towards underprivileged/low income/minority (like Gates Millennium, which does not have a fee).</p>
<p>Okay, then maybe I’m just bitter about money. My whole childhood was filled with intense screeching about money, and even now, my mom never neglects to tell me about how we are sinking (even though relatively, we aren’t at all). I just hate how money distorts everything in general. But anyways.</p>
<p>@IsometricKiwi I submitted queries when I was 12 too! I had just finished writing this wickedly horrific (in terms of quality and content—a lot of sexual abuse that I knew nothing about and wrote treacherously) novel and sent it out to this agent with a high profile. He rejected…and then I never sent it out again. Like yours, my writing was very mediocre and… Well, I’m glad no one let a 12 year old publish a novel about incest (especially in my manuscript’s case).</p>
<p>@MissSuzyQ I think every writer goes through one of those phases where they write about that sort of thing…for me it was a science fiction piece on another planet, the plot totally wasn’t ripped off of the Avatar movie or anything. (Have you read Maya Van Wagenen’s book? She’s our age and she wrote a memoir, it came out in April) </p>
<p>Oooh, no. I haven’t. I must look into that.</p>
<p>I recently read Dear Killer which was written and published by a girl when she was 17. She now attends Stanford. It was actually an okay book. About a teenage girl who’s a serial killer. Intriguing stuff. </p>
<p>I haven’t actually heard of Dear Killer, I’ll have to check that one out! Do you know of any other books by teen authors published traditionally in recent years? The only ones I’ve read are The Kissing Booth, Swordbird, The DUFF, How Opal Mehta…, and the one I just mentioned. I’m always curious to read books by teen authors.</p>
<p>@alzhao these are two completely award categories. Everything you mentioned is STEM, while this is the arts. It really depends on what classes you take as well and what you want to major in. </p>
<p>If you’re like me, who does both math (like USAMO) and creative writing, I would say they’re definitely comparable. USAMO finalist odds are smaller than the odds for YoungArts. For creative writing in YoungArts, there are 22 or so finalists out of 10,000 entries. For USAMO, there are 24 winners and honorable mentions out of half a million kids who initially take the AMC. </p>
<p>However, from your post I take it you haven’t really done a lot of competition math yet. If so, don’t get your expectations up and hope to win USAMO. If you work for hours every single day you could qualify in a year, maybe two, but to win or get honorable mention is a completely different matter. I’m familiar with kids who’ve won and they’ve been working since elementary school for hours every single day, and also have a lot of natural talent. I also know kids who have worked since elementary school for hours every single day and have natural talent and still are unable to be in the top 24.</p>
<p>USABO and ISEF are different matters, they can require less work. I know a kid who qualified for ISEF and won a special award who only spent a couple hours on weekends working with his professor/mentor. For USABO, I know a girl who got to the international competition after working for only one year (but she studied for HOURS every day).</p>
<p>Don’t do something just because it looks impressive. Everything you mentioned has really slim odds of winning, and if the only reason you’re doing it is to win, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Think about what you really like to do and then go from there, instead of what’s most impressive to AO’s.</p>
<p>(sorry, this thread got kind of off-track from YoungArts)</p>