The Gold and Colleges

We all know that earning the Gold Award looks great on a college application, as it says something about the girl and what she's done, but did you know how great it also is when the girl is applying for scholarships?

One Mom was talking about how her daughter is applying for grants/scholarships and that sometimes it's tough to find references for the specific issues each scholarship entails.  She is very grateful that her daughter earned her Gold Award, because the leadership, community commitment and project impact that a Gold girl has achieved have a relevance to the qualities these scholarships are looking for.

What if there are 4 well qualified girls applying for a scholarship?  All have varsity sports, all have about the same 3.5+ GPA, all have participated in clubs and other organizations at school.  What may separate them from each other?  The Gold Award, to be sure!  This award says that this young woman has successfully completed a project from start to finish.  That this project was approved by a GS council.  And that the girl made a minimum commitment of 80 hours to it.

Our girls use their leadership to complete the Gold.  With that work comes a maturity, a readiness for discovering new things, and the ability to Take Action in college. What institution of higher learning won't want HER!  And using her resources wisely, the girl has a non-parent Project Advisor who can write a letter of recommendation that specifically talks about what the girl did. Not the team or the class, but just one girl.  Making a difference.

I find these letters very difficult to write. But when I'm done, and I re-read it, I'm almost in tears of joy, because I am so proud and impressed by what the girl has done.  Without hyperbole, she's taken on a task and achieved a goal. Measurable and sustainable!  What a great thing!!!