Frequently Asked Questions

. . . about the Wendell Prize
 

Eligibility for Application
1. Who is eligible to apply for the Wendell Prize? 
2. Are students who are taking a leave of absence eligible to win the Wendell Prize? 
3. The official name of this prize is the “Jacob Wendell Scholarship Prize.” Does this mean that it is a scholarship?

Writing Sample
4. What type of writing sample should applicants submit? 
5. Can the writing sample be revised before submitting it for the Wendell Prize?
6. Are writing samples produced during the summer eligible for submission?
7. Can an essay in a foreign language be submitted as the writing sample?
8. Can a co-authored essay be submitted for consideration?

Wendell Essay
9. What should students address in their Wendell essay?

Transcript
10. Where can students get electronic versions of their unofficial transcript?

Letter of Recommendation and Waiver Form
11. When in the application process do students ask for a letter of recommendation for the Wendell Prize?
12. May students request a letter of recommendation from an instructor with whom they worked or took courses over the summer?
13. Should the waiver form accompany all requests for a letter of recommendation?
14. Who is responsible for getting letters of recommendation to the Prize Office?
15. Is it possible for more than one letter of recommendation to be submitted on behalf of a student for the Wendell Prize?

Deadline
16. Is a prize deadline dependent on the location of the person submitting materials for a prize?
17. How far in advance should students begin working on their Wendell Prize applications?
18. What should students do if they encounter difficulties with the application?

Notification
19. When will applicants be notified about the selection committee’s decision?

 

Eligibility for Application

 

1. Who is eligible to apply for the Wendell Prize?

Students who complete their first two terms at Harvard College in the top tier of their class are eligible to apply for the Jacob Wendell Prize. Eligible students will be invited to apply by the Prize Office in the June after their first year at Harvard. Students who have been invited to apply for the Wendell Prize should click here for further instructions.
 

2. Are students who are taking a leave of absence eligible to win the Wendell Prize?

Students who are on leave during the fall term of their sophomore year are not eligible to win the Wendell Prize.

 

3. The official name of this prize is the “Jacob Wendell Scholarship Prize.” Does this mean that it is a scholarship?

No. Although some prizes, including the Wendell Prize, have the word “scholarship” in their titles, they are not need based and are awarded as prizes.


Writing Sample

 

4. What type of writing sample should applicants submit?

Applicants should submit their best piece of written work produced for a course or Harvard-sponsored activity during the fall or spring term of their first year at the College. The Wendell Prize selection committee encourages applicants to submit research papers they wrote for upper-level classes when possible.

 

5. Can the writing sample be revised before submitting it for the Wendell Prize?

No. The writing sample submitted for the Wendell Prize should not be revised.

 

6. Are writing samples produced during the summer eligible for submission?

No. For the purposes of the Wendell Prize, the “first year” consists of the fall and spring terms of a student’s first year at Harvard and does not include the preceding or following summers.

 

7. Can an essay in a foreign language be submitted as the writing sample?

Yes. However, a complete English translation must accompany the original essay.

 

8. Can a co-authored essay be submitted for consideration?

No. The Wendell Prize is designed to recognize the individual excellence of a student; therefore, papers written in collaboration with another person are not eligible for submission.

 

Wendell Essay

 

9. What should students address in their Wendell essay?
Wendell Scholars have both intellectual depth and range. Students applying for the Wendell Prize are asked to submit a two-paragraph essay of no more than 500 words on their first year at Harvard. The first paragraph should focus on an academic experience during their first year at Harvard that meaningfully deepened their insight into or knowledge of a given area of inquiry. The second paragraph should focus on an academic experience during their first year at Harvard that meaningfully expanded their intellectual range or horizons.

 

Transcript

 

10. Where can students get electronic versions of their unofficial transcript?

To get an electronic version of their unofficial transcript, students should visit my.harvard. From the “Student Home” tab in my.harvard, students should select the “Grades” button and then select “View Unofficial Transcript.” Students will then be able to view and save a PDF of their transcript. Once students have the PDF of their unofficial transcript, they will upload it, along with their writing sample, when submitting the online application form. See Viewing Unofficial Transcripts on my.harvard for more information.

 

Letter of Recommendation and Waiver Form

 

11. When in the application process do students ask for a letter of recommendation for the Wendell Prize?

As soon as students have decided to apply for the Wendell Prize, they should request a letter of recommendation from an instructor who taught them during their first year at the College. Students will include the name of this recommender on the application form for the Wendell Prize.

 

12. May applicants request a letter of recommendation from an instructor with whom they worked or took courses over the summer?

No. For the purposes of the Wendell Prize, the “first year” consists of the fall and spring terms of a student’s first year at Harvard and does not include the preceding or following summers.

 

13. Should the waiver form accompany requests for a letter of recommendation?

Yes. When students ask their instructor for a letter of recommendation, they give the recommender a copy of the waiver form (click the link) that they have electronically filled out and signed. This form contains important instructions for the recommender about submitting the letter of recommendation. Students will also upload the signed waiver form when submitting the online application form.

 

14. Who is responsible for getting letters of recommendation to the Prize Office?

Recommenders should email their letters of recommendation to the Prize Office at prizes@fas.harvard.edu by the prize deadline. Applications that are not complete by the deadline, including those missing a letter of recommendation, will not be considered by the selection committee.

 

15. Is it possible for more than one letter of recommendation to be submitted on behalf of a student for the Wendell Prize?

No. Only one letter of recommendation will be accepted.

 

Deadline

 

16. Is a prize deadline dependent on the location of the person submitting materials for a prize?

No. All application materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the day of the deadline. Prize Office deadlines are strictly observed.

 

17. How far in advance should students begin working on their Wendell Prize applications?

The Wendell Prize application has many parts, all of which must be received by the Prize Office by 11:59 p.m. on the day of the deadline. These requirements include a writing sample, a Wendell essay, an unofficial transcript that needs to be downloaded from my.harvard, and a letter of recommendation that the recommender will need time to write, which is accompanied by a waiver form that needs to be electronically filled out, signed, and submitted by the student. All parts of the application must be received by the Prize Office by the deadline in order for the application to be eligible for review by the selection committee. Applicants are advised to begin the application process early.

 

18. What should students do if they encounter difficulties with the application?

If students encounter difficulty with any portion of the Wendell Prize application, they should email the Prize Office at prizes@fas.harvard.edu.

 

Notification

 

19. When will applicants be notified about the selection committee’s decision?

Finalists for the Wendell Prize will be chosen by the selection committee by the end of November and will be interviewed by the committee shortly thereafter. The new Wendell Scholar will be announced by December.