$1,000 Scholarships for First-Year Philosophy Students
The Department of Philosophy is offering, on an annual basis, several $1,000 Young Philosopher Scholarships for incoming freshmen with a serious interest in philosophy. Such an interest might be an outgrowth of prior reading in philosophy, of experience in argumentation and reasoning (e.g. in debate), of work in logic, of a personal concern for issues of ethics and social justice, of a quest for religious insight, of a desire for understanding or wisdom, or from many other sources. While it is not expected that freshman applicants will have previously studied philosophy in a formal sense, they must show some sense of what it involves and be able to explain why it might be important to them or to their education in general.

Applications in any given year should be completed by April 15 for scholarships to be granted the following fall semester. Earlier applications are encouraged, and decisions on some of the scholarships may be made prior to that date. The committee may also consider applications for mid-year admissions.

Required application materials:

• Application form
• Transcript of high school work
• Two letters by high school teachers, commenting on student's general abilities, past performance, and interest in philosophical reflection and deep intellectual inquiry.
• Personal statement (about one page) of academic interests and reasons for wanting to study philosophy. (This may be typed seperately or added onto the online application form.)

Students receiving Young Philosopher Scholarships will be expected to enroll in at least one philosophy class for each of their first two semesters at WSU, while pursuing general coursework in a number of areas, and the scholarship will be split between those two semesters. Those who do decide to go on with the study of philosophy and declare a major in the area may apply for further scholarships on a year-by-year basis. And all students are, of course, urged to explore the many other avenues of financial aid (scholarships, loans, campus employment, etc.) available at Washington State University.

Application materials should be sent to:

Department of Philosophy
ATTN: Scholarship Committee
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-5130

For more information about the department, the scholarship program, or philosophy in general, write to the Department of Philosophy, phone (509) 335-8611, or e-mail (philo@wsu.edu).