Student Nomination Process

Eligibility:

Who may submit nominations?

Nominations must be submitted by a counselor, teacher, principal, or other high school official.

Students and families may not submit their own nomination unless they are homeschooled.

How many students can our school nominate?

Schools are allotted a number of nominations based on school population for grades 9-12. All high schools in Missouri are allotted a minimum of two nominations. Nominations are split between standard nominations and compelling case (see below) nominations. Please use this chart to find your school’s allotment. Please note some smaller schools may be missing from the chart. Even if your school is missing, you are still eligible to nominate.

Homeschoolers may nominate all children at home who meet the below qualifications.

What students may be nominated?

Nominees must:

• be a current 10th grader
• attend high school in Missouri (or be homeschooled in Missouri)
• be a Missouri resident

Missouri Scholars Academy welcomes participants with disabilities and/or unique health requirements. If selected for the program, MSA, along with Mizzou’s Disability Center, Dining Services, and others, is happy to work with scholars and their families to plan for necessary accommodations.

How to submit a nomination:

Complete an online survey (please note this link is only active in the late fall and early winter) for each nominee. Unfortunately, incomplete forms cannot be saved for later. It must be completed and submitted in one sitting. We recommend gathering all information ahead of time. That information is listed below. You can also download a printable list using this link.

Thank you in advance for verifying all information is spelled correctly, especially email addresses.

The form will prompt you to include all necessary information and documents. Those are:

• Student information.
  • Student’s full name (first, last, and preferred)
  • Student’s email address. Please keep in mind that school email addresses may block our decision notifications. Please provide a non-school email address whenever possible.
  • Student’s phone number
  • Student’s birthday
  • Student’s sex
  • Student’s address
  • Parent/guardian’s full name
  • Parent/guardian’s phone number
  • Parent/guardian’s email
  • Unweighted GPA. The student’s grade point average for three semesters for all courses must be based on a four-point scale as follows: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1. There are no provisions for giving extra weight to “accelerated” or “honors” courses. Plus and minus grades are not to be counted in the computation. In order to have a standardized method for computing GPAs from schools throughout the state, all schools must use this method, regardless of what scale the school normally uses. 
  • Standardized test score. MSA requires an aptitude test score for all nominations. We accept any type of ACT, SAT, or IQ test. If your nominee has not taken any standardized tests or has only taken one not listed here, please contact us at moscholarsacademy@missouri.edu for further instructions.
• Nominator information
  • School name
  • School district
  • School address
  • School type (private, public, charter, etc.)
  • Nominator name
  • Nominator title
  • Nominator email address
  • Nominator phone number
  • Nominator comment. You’ll have the option to answer, “What else would you like to tell MSA about your nominated student?”
• Additional documents. All must be PDFs. Please title these documents “Last Name, First Name_Document Type”.
  • Letters of Recommendation
    • One of the recommenders must be a teacher.
    • The other recommender may be another teacher, coach, or other community member familiar with the student’s academic abilities and personal character.
    • MSA does not accept letters of recommendation from a parent or guardian.
    • Strong letters are important. You can use this helpful document with instructions and tips on writing a great letter of recommendation for MSA to guide letter writers.
  • Student Essays. Please upload two essays written by your nominee using the below prompts. Returning nominators, please note that essay prompts changed in 2024.
    • Essay 1: The media we consume occasionally speaks to us in ways that transcend mere entertainment. In 300-350 words, describe a character from a book, film, song, etc. who you identified with in meaningful ways. What made your connection to this character so significant? If you were plopped into this character’s narrative, what would you do differently?
    • Essay 2: There are many issues facing society that require the attention of smart, conscientious people. Select an issue that has personal importance to you. In 300-350 words, describe why that issue matters and how you propose we bring about positive change.
    • Download a copy of the essay prompts.

You will receive an automatic confirmation that your application has been received. Please check your spam folder! If you do not receive confirmation, please email us at moscholarsacademy@missouri.edu.

SCHOLAR FEE

Due to the rising costs associated with running the Missouri Scholars Academy, there will be a $600 scholar fee in 2027 for those nominees accepted to the program. This fee can be paid by families, schools, or community sponsors. Students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch may request a fee waiver. Fees will be waived to the extent that funds are available to do so.

Questions? Please contact us at moscholarsacademy@missouri.edu.

WHAT IS A “COMPELLING CASE” NOMINATION?

“Compelling case” nominations are intended for exceptional students for whom MSA would be a unique and meaningful opportunity. We’ve left the criteria of “compelling case” up to each school. Please consider nominating students for whom the intellectual and social enrichment of MSA would make a substantial difference in their lives. Nominators will be able to add a comment to their nomination to elaborate on why this nomination is a compelling case.

Questions? Please contact us at moscholarsacademy@missouri.edu.

MORE ABOUT NOMINATION ALLOTMENTS

School nomination allotment is based on school size or enrollment numbers as reported to DESE and on previous MSA nominations.

Schools in the same district may pool their nominations. The total number of nominated students may not exceed the sum of the allotments for the individual schools. Please let us know if your district plans to pool nominations at moscholarsacademy@missouri.edu.

I.Q. TEST SCORES ARE NOW OPTIONAL

I.Q. test scores are no longer required.