What is the Bradley Scholarship?

High school is an important and formative time for students, preparing them for college and beyond, and helping them find and explore passions that will stick with them for the rest of their life. We’ve written about the importance of high school before, and how it can impact your chances of admission to a top college. 

A common question parents face is whether a public or private high school will best serve the needs of their student. This, of course, depends on the student in question, but many parents are worried due to the price of private high schools. Many of the best private schools have costs commensurate with college, with boarding schools charging more than $50,000 a year in tuition. 

While there is some financial aid available from the schools themselves, there aren’t nearly as many opportunities for scholarships as exist in college. In this article, however, we’re going to be examining an exception to this rule: the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship. We’ll explain what this is, how you can apply for it, and how it can help you with your educational journey. Let’s get started!

What is the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship?

This is a four year, need-blind merit-based scholarship for high school students. It provides a full scholarship to students for a high school program matched to their emotional and educational needs. This can either be tuition for a private school, or funding for another opportunity. 

This program began in 2002 with five students, and has since expanded to work with students from across the US. Students can receive funding for any accredited school in the US, but they often apply to top ranked private and boarding schools, ones that will push and encourage them to excel academically. 

In addition to tuition funding, the CDB program provides educational counseling during the application process to high school, to help students find the program best matched to their interests. This counseling continues through high school, and into the college application process. The scholarship believes success begins early, and wants to identify and support future leaders early, to give them the tools needed to succeed. 

As a need-blind scholarship, they do not take into account your financial resources when making decisions about who receives aid awards. They are a fully-merit based scholarship, and all awards are made based on the strength of your application and academic background. So what are they looking for exactly?

How to Apply for the Bradley Scholarship

The application is available annually for 7th grade students nationally. Applications are done online, and are due in by April 10. They specifically have the following eligibility requirements for applicants:

• You must be in 7th grade, and planning to graduate from high school in five years time.
• You must be a US citizen currently living in the US, and your target high school must also be in the US.
• While the scholarship is fully merit based, they do look for students with challenges in finding the right high school for them, or with barriers to attending an appropriate high school.
• They do not discriminate on the basis of race, culture, socioeconomic status, gender, geography, or educational background. 
• If you are selected, you are required to maintain a high standard of academic achievement and personal conduct. You are required to sign a contract agreeing to both these terms.

Once applications are submitted, they are reviewed by a selection committee, made up of former college admissions officers. They select finalists, who are then interviewed by the committee. They are looking for the following from applicants:

• First and foremost that you have demonstrated exceptional academic ability and achievement.
• That you have scored in the top tier of school administered standardized tests in the past two years.
• That you display positive traits; leadership, intellectual vitality, creative thinking, passion for knowledge, motivation, integrity, and maturity.
• That you are actively seeking an accelerated and academically challenging high school program.

The application itself has the following components:

• Basic demographic information. This is for both the student and the parents; parent and student should be working on the application together.
• An academic referral from a 6th or 7th grade STEM or humanities teacher. You need an additional recommendation from anyone who does not know you in an academic context (a coach, music teacher, volunteer supervisor; anyone who doesn’t know you in the classroom). Make sure to ask the recommenders before adding them as a recommender. The email for these can sometimes get stuck in a spam folder.
• Two most recent years of state standardized test scores; any test mandated by the state department of education that your whole school takes. (This is usually 5th and 6th grade, but can vary by state). If your school does not do standardized testing, you must upload a Google doc explaining this.
• Transcripts and grade reports from 6th grade and the first semester of 7th grade.
• Quick takes: these are short response questions, usually one word to one sentence in length. 
• Reflective prompts: there is one mandatory essay prompt, and then you choose two of the additional five prompts to answer as well. One of these prompts must be answered in an essay, one can be a creative response (poem, video, art piece). You must stay within the word limits; additional words will not be read.
• A student work sample that demonstrates your ability and creativity. This can be anything you have done in class. Video submissions may not be longer than 3 minutes in length.
• A 500 word parent/guardian statement reflecting on who the student is. 

They have the following optional components of the application:

• SAT, ACT, or upper level SSAT scores may be submitted, but are not required.
• Additional info may be included if you feel there is specific information that is not covered elsewhere in the application. This can cover arts supplements and other documentation. There is a 500 word limit.

As part of the scholarship, you will be required to research and consult with them to find a high school which best meets your educational needs. They have a list of high schools their past students have attended. You do not need to attend one of these schools; the list is merely to demonstrate the scope of the program.

Is the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Right for You?

This is an incredibly competitive scholarship, but one with significant upside for students. While private schools are not inherently better for students, many of the nation’s top private schools have access to significantly more resources, and proffer far more opportunities for their students than most public schools can provide. 

This scholarship helps with this in two ways; first in providing funding for the education, and second in advising students on finding a high school which best suits their needs. This is something we have done quite frequently as well, and we know the value of this. Choosing the right high school for a student sets them on the path to college early, and makes their entire high school experience far smoother.

That said, this scholarship is not for everyone; the application process is long and involved, and isn’t something to undertake lightly. You should be sure that you have the kinds of traits the scholarship is looking for before applying, in order to not spend your time needlessly. 

That said, if you have the academic achievement and drive to learn that they are looking for, this is a great opportunity, and you should consider taking advantage of it. High school is your best preparation for college, and a great high school is one of the best ways to prepare yourself to attend a top college as well. This scholarship positions you to find and attend a great high school, and gives you all the tools you need to succeed going forward. 

Final Thoughts

Private high schools are incredibly expensive, and while some do have scholarships, these are universally need based. As a purely merit-based scholarship, Caroline D. Bradley offers something you can’t really find anywhere else. We hope that this article has introduced you fully to this scholarship, and told you everything you need to know to evaluate whether this is a good opportunity for you.

The transition to high school is a challenging time for students, one of great change and great opportunity. We’ve seen this ourselves, and helped students to navigate it successfully through our high school transitions coaching program. We help you find the high school which best meets the needs of your student, and then apply to it, along with helping to manage the social and academic challenges that arise along the way. To learn about how this works, and how we can help you, schedule a free consultation today. We have a long experience in helping students with every phase of their educational journey, and are always happy to hear from you.