Please read the following instructions and the FAQ carefully. Every year, approximately 25% of all applicants are disqualified for failing to meet one or more of the criteria, such as the deadline (January 31st), the maximum length (250 words), or for identifying themselves in the essay.
If you have a question about the competition that wasn't answered in the rules or the FAQ, then please send us an e-mail, and we'll do our best to answer it for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I have to be a member of Mensa?
- When does the competition start / close?
- I'm currently in grade 12, OR, I’m taking a gap year. Can I apply for the scholarship?
- What if my 18th birthday falls a few days after the January 31st deadline?
- Can I use the word "I"? Doesn't the word "I" identify myself?
- Is it considered “identifying information” if I name my school, the town where I live, my gender, my course of study, my race, culture, country of origin, or religion?
- Do contractions such as "don't" count as one word or two?
- Do hyphenated phrases such as "full-time” or “co-operative" count as one word or two?
- What if I am a Canadian citizen enrolled in a post-secondary institution in another country?
- What if I'm resident in Canada but not a landed immigrant or citizen?
- I am a co-op student. If I am currently on a work term, do I still qualify as a full-time student?
- Am I eligible if I am attending Cegep?
- What do you mean by “full-time”
- Is there an application? OR Where do I find the application?
- How do I apply for the Edgar Kerstan Award?
- Is the competition for undergraduates only?
- What information do you want in the essay?
- Do titles and quotes/footnotes count in my total word count?
- Does the essay have to be factual or fiction?
- Where do I include the information about my institution and level of study?
- How can I possibly include all that information in only 250 words?
- Do I need to send references or supporting documentation now?
- What correspondence can I expect after I submit my application?
You do not need to be a member of Mensa in order to apply.
Our competition follows the academic year and runs annually from September 1st, closing at midnight in your time zone on the following January 31st . Applications cannot be submitted outside of this time period (February 1 to August 31) will not be included in the competition.
No. The scholarships are intended only for individuals who are attending college or university during the current academic year.
You will be disqualified. Please apply for the next year's competition.
The use of the word "I" does not identify you, and therefore will not disqualify your essay. Your essay should not contain your name, links to your online profile, or any other information which will allow our judges to easily identify you as an essay's author.
None of these serve to identify you. Your essay should not contain your name, links to your online profile, or any other information which will allow our judges to easily identify you as an essay's author.
Contractions and words with apostrophes count as one word.
Hyphenated words count as one word.
You must be attending a Canadian post-secondary institution. The exception is if you are registered at a Canadian institution, but are attending studies out of the country and will receive credit for such at your Canadian school.
You will be disqualified. The competition is open to Canadian citizens or landed immigrants only.
Yes, as long as your educational institution gives you an academic credit for your work term.
Yes, Quebec students attending Cegep are eligible if studies are full-time.
Our competition is intended for individuals who are currently attending post-secondary studies on a full time basis. Full-time is defined as determined by the Canadian post-secondary institution which you are attending.
Use the submission form to submit your essay and required information.
You do not apply for the Kerstan award specifically. Rather you must first be named as a finalist in our competition in order to then be considered for the Kerstan award. Only the Woodham’s award has specific criteria.
Our competition is open to any post-secondary student who meets our criteria, including individuals at the undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate level.
Your essay should contain the information listed in “How to Apply” on our “rules” page, while remaining within the 250 word limit. Your essay should not contain your name, links to your online profile, or any other information which will allow our judges to easily identify you.
Yes. All words count as part of your 250 words. This includes statements of “To Whom it may Concern” or “thank you for your consideration”.
This is a scholarship application. Your essay should contain the information listed in “How to Apply” on our “rules” page, while remaining within the 250 word limit. We verify all claims made in finalist essays, and if anything is false or simply not verifiable, then the essay is removed from consideration.
essayThis information is requested on the application form, but we also wish to see this included as part of your essay.
Visit our winners page http://www.mensacanada.ca/winners.html where you will find links to past winning essays. This will give you an idea of how previous winners have managed to achieve this.
No. These items will be requested from individuals who are determined as finalists.
Only scholarship finalists and/or winners will be contacted. Please do not submit your essay more than once, or e-mail the judges to ask if they have received your essay. Unless you receive a "Mail Undeliverable" e-mail reply within 2-3 minutes, then your essay has been submitted successfully.