The Loran Scholarship is one of Canada’s most rewarding and renowned prizes. The Loran Award, available at 25 partner colleges, is worth $100,000 over four years and includes mentorship, assistance for summer internships, and access to a vast network of past and present experts.
Loran believes that honesty, courage, grit, and personal autonomy are more accurate markers of overall potential than traditional academic measures.
Given this belief, Loran conducts the most exhaustive and detailed scholarship selection procedure in Canada, including a lengthy interview stage.
Are you interested in finding out more about the Loran Scholarship program and what to expect from interviews? Then keep reading!
What Does The Loran Scholarship Offer?
Each Loran Award is renewable for up to four years and has a total value of $100,000. It includes:
- An annual stipend of $10,000.
- A matching tuition waiver from one of 25 partner colleges.
- Mentorship from a Canadian leader, networking opportunities, and up to $14,000 in financing for summer job experiences across three industries.
- An orientation expedition through Algonquin Park.
- Annual retreats and scholarly gatherings
- They also provide up to 118 finalist and provincial awards to deserving individuals who are not chosen as Loran Scholars.
How do you apply For the Loran Scholarship?
The Loran Scholarship application process is held annually in September/October. After submitting a supplementary evaluation, shortlisted candidates are contacted at least two weeks before their semi-final interview.
The Loran committees assess all submissions and invite semi-finalists to online interviews. These interviews allow semi-finalists to engage with one another, meet the local leaders who serve as Loran interviewers, and receive significant interviewing experience.
Semi-final interviews will be conducted between mid-November and mid-December. Candidates who have been selected for semi-final interviews will be contacted at least two weeks before their scheduled interview.
Following the semi-final interviews, the committees invite the top semi-finalists to participate in nationwide interviews.
The committees also present provincial and territory awards ($2,000 apiece) and honor citations to semi-finalists who stand out at the semi-final stage.
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Loran Scholarship Supplemental Application and Essay Questions
For this scholarship, you may be required to include a list of the following in your supplementary application:
- Your volunteer hours and community service activities throughout high school.
- Your part-time employment or other work experience.
- Your extracurricular activities, both at and outside of school.
- Your grades and your accomplishments.
Make sure to highlight a wide range of endeavors in which you were/are involved; the more diverse the activities, the more well-rounded you appear to the committee!
It is also a good idea to make sure that your volunteering experience includes a mix of personal or independently run projects as well as communal or provincial ones.
The supplementary application’s essay questions will most likely ask you which of your community initiatives had the greatest influence on your community, as well as a time when your efforts did not go as planned, and how you handled the situation or learned from it.
Make sure your replies are authentic—avoid cliches and don’t write what you think the committee wants to hear; be yourself and passionate!
Loran Scholarship Interview Questions
The questions you will be asked during the Loran Scholarship Interview will vary depending on the interviewer.
Some such questions you could be asked include:
- “How do you find a work/school/life balance with your schedule?”
- “Why did you choose to work with your volunteer organization?”
- “What are you passionate about?”
- “Tell me more about your _____ experience.”
- “What experience has had the greatest impact on your life?” Why?”
- “How do you deal with failure?”
- “Who do you look up to, or who inspires you?”
Each interviewer will ask you a question about a topic or experience from your supplemental application that they are particularly interested in.
Prepare in advance! You should be familiar with your supplemental application from beginning to end, and be prepared to elaborate on the events you described!
Do you want to increase your chances of obtaining the Loran Scholarship?
If you desire direction and endless assistance on your quest to become a Loran Scholar, you’ve come to the perfect spot! Take our quick, free quiz to determine whether you qualify for GrantMe.
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How to Apply
The Loran Award applications for 2024 are now officially open! The process takes place in September or October.
Furthermore, shortlisted candidates are notified two weeks before the semi-final interview date. However, there are two ways to apply. Each has its own due date:
Sponsored Applications
The first step is for the school to nominate candidates. Each Canadian high school may sponsor up to three students, whereas Cegep can sponsor up to eight.
As a result, if you are a high school student, you should contact your teacher, guidance counselor, or school administration for information on your school’s selection procedure.
Similarly, if you are a Cegep student, look through the Loran Scholarship’s list of Cegep representatives to find the appropriate person to contact at your institution.
Second, your school contact must complete a brief online sponsorship form before the deadline, for which they will receive a link once your application and reference letter are complete.
Third, Loran Scholarship committees assess these applications and invite chosen individuals (known as semi-finalists) to participate in online interviews where they can network with one another, gain interview practice, and meet local leaders.
Fourth, once the semi-final interviews are completed, the committee will ask the top semi-finalists to participate in national interviews before announcing the Loran Scholar(s).
Sponsored applications must be submitted by October 15, 2024, before 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Direct Pool Applications
First and foremost, this application is not sponsored by a school. As a result, there is no limit on the number of direct pool applications accepted by a given school.
The Loran Scholarship committees (in their respective locations) analyze these applications before inviting shortlisted individuals to online interviews.
Second, once the interviews are completed, the committees invite outstanding semifinalists to participate in nationwide interviews.
Please keep in mind that these committees might also provide territorial and provincial awards ($2,000 apiece) to semi-finalists who stand out.
However, they encourage students to seek funding wherever possible.
The deadline for Direct Pool applications is October 22, 2024, before 8:00 PM Eastern Time.