Our criteria clarify what we seek in your application, help you assess your alignment with our values, and prepare you to demonstrate the criteria in your application.
There is neither a typical nor a prototypical Knight-Hennessy Scholar. Each cohort is diverse by design; no two candidates are equally strong across all criteria, and you may demonstrate different strengths in different ways. As we evaluate and select Knight-Hennessy Scholars, we look for evidence of three criteria:
1. Independence of Thought
We seek visionary thinkers who are curious, open-minded, analytical, eager for cross-cultural perspective, and genuinely excited to boldly and creatively address our world’s important challenges.
- Demonstrates mental sharpness and intellectual ability
- Seeks out knowledge and new experiences
- Full of original ideas
- Makes sense of ambiguity
- Can hold a contrarian or dissenting point of view
2. Purposeful Leadership
We seek courageous leaders who are ethical, decisive, resilient, driven to achieve meaningful results, and motivated to inspire others to effect positive change at scale.
- Ambitious in service of a better world
- Driven to improve self and others
- Able to include and elevate others
- Self-aware and adaptable
- Persistent and resilient
3. Civic Mindset
We seek collaborative community members who are humble, empathetic, trustworthy, oriented to act in service of others, and deeply passionate about contributing to the greater good.
- Personally humble and kind
- Supportive and accountable
- Embraces difference
- Concerned for and helpful to others
We find evidence of these selection criteria throughout your application and, if you are selected as a finalist, at Immersion Weekend. We look forward to getting to know you, including what you have done, who you are now, and what you aspire to do in the future.
Last updated April 29, 2021
