Presidents Leadership Class (PLC) Scholarship

The Presidents Leadership Class (PLC) scholarship is provided through the Presidents Leadership Class and represents entry into the four-year program. Recipients of the Presidents Leadership Class scholarship are awarded $1000 for one-year and the scholarship is a one-time scholarship.

To be considered for this scholarship, you must:
· Apply to the University of Colorado Boulder, or
· Be a continuing University of Colorado Boulder rising sophomore
· Have a high school GPA of 2.5 or greater (for incoming freshmen), or
· Have cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (for continuing or transfer students)

Applicants should demonstrate a strong academic record, leadership initiative, depth of commitment to their interests, and a desire to better their community. PLC is a four-year program with academic, experiential, and service requirements.

How to Apply

  • Complete the CU Boulder General Scholarship Application.
  • Complete this Presidents Leadership Class application by the posted deadline.
  • AI use is not permitted for these scholarship prompts. We want your ideas and your responses to these prompts to be completely, originally written by you. We want to learn your unique and authentic story and assess how you respond to these prompts without the assistance of AI. Should AI use be suspected, your application may be disqualified.

Applicants for the PLC program will automatically be considered for the Ruyle Family Scholarship, as well.

Award
$1,000.00
Schools, Colleges, Departments
Presidents Leadership Class
Deadline
02/15/2026
Supplemental Questions
  1. How did you hear about the Presidents Leadership Class at CU Boulder? (Your answer will not be factored into the selection process; it is purely for our data collection efforts)

    ¿Cómo se enteró de la existencia de la Clase Presidencial de Liderazgo en CU Boulder? Su respuesta no se tendrá en cuenta en el proceso de selección; es únicamente para fines de recopilación de datos).

  2. Please provide one recommendation (from a current instructor, teacher, professor, coach, supervisor, mentor, director, etc.) by entering their full name and email address.

    Por favor, proporcione una recomendación (de un instructor actual, maestro, profesor, entrenador, supervisor, mentor, director, etc.) introduciendo su nombre completo y dirección de correo electrónico.

  3. Where do today’s leaders fall short? Use an example and details to support your answer. What leadership approach and solution(s) would you recommend addressing these shortcomings?

    ¿En qué aspectos fallan los líderes actuales? Utiliza un ejemplo y detalles para respaldar tu respuesta. ¿Qué enfoque de liderazgo y qué soluciones recomendarías para abordar estas deficiencias?

  4. Write a short essay in response to one of the ethical dilemmas below. Decide what you should do in the dilemma, and explain your reasoning in coming up with your decision, including stating which, if any, of your personal values were at conflict during your decision-making, and why you chose to prioritize one value over the other.

    Escribe un breve ensayo en respuesta a one de los dilemas éticos que se plantean a continuación. Decide qué harías en esa situación y explica el razonamiento que te ha llevado a tomar esa decisión, incluyendo cuáles de tus valores personales, si los hay, han entrado en conflicto durante la toma de decisiones y por qué has decidido dar prioridad a un valor sobre otro: Haga clic aquí para ver la traducción al español de las opciones del dilema ético

    Option Ethical Dilemma 1: In your first semester at CU, you join a student committee responsible for allocating a grant to support leadership development programs. Two proposals for where to allocate the funding rise to the top: Proposal A would fund an intensive, semester-long leadership accelerator for a small cohort of high-achieving students. Data from similar programs shows it would produce powerful results—internships, research placements, and community projects—but it would benefit only about 12 students. Proposal B would fund a series of open-access workshops designed to reach over 200 students from across campus. The workshops are intentionally inclusive and would create broad opportunities for skill-building and connection, but the overall impact on each individual student would be smaller. The committee cannot split the funding. You must choose one proposal. Supporting one means the other will not receive funding. If you were the deciding vote, which proposal would you choose, and why?

    Option Ethical Dilemma 2: You are the student leader of Campus Connect, a tutoring program that supports kids from a nearby low-income community. Most of your funding comes from a tech company called COCO-Tech, which is known for promoting ethical AI development. COCO-Tech has just announced a new initiative that would triple their financial contributions to the program. With that funding, you could hire more social workers and provide evening meals, which would make a major difference for students struggling with food insecurity and mental health needs. However, you accidentally received a confidential internal email revealing that one of COCO-Tech’s server facilities has been leaking harmful waste into local groundwater. This pollution is causing chronic health issues in a small, vulnerable community. It’s not widely publicized, but it is documented and real. Now you face a difficult choice: Do you continue accepting COCO-Tech’s support because it would significantly benefit the children you serve? Or do you refuse the funding and leak the email you received to a major news organization, exposing the company because it is causing harm in another community?

  5. What motivates you to succeed, and how have your lived experiences and current goals shaped you into an individual that will not only benefit from, but also contribute to the PLC community?

    ¿Qué te motiva a alcanzar el éxito y cómo tus experiencias vividas y tus objetivos actuales te han convertido en una persona que no solo se beneficiará de la comunidad PLC, sino que también contribuirá a ella?

  6. We want you to share a special accomplishment that you are very proud of. Examples include a dance performance, an instrumental recital, a debate, a speech, a piece of art you have created, a photograph, etc. This does not include lengthy written pieces (research papers, theses, etc.) However, written pieces including short papers, poems, plays, musical compositions, etc. are welcome.

    Queremos que compartas un logro especial del que te sientas muy orgulloso. Por ejemplo, una actuación de danza, un recital instrumental, un debate, un discurso, una obra de arte que hayas creado, una fotografía, etc. No se aceptan trabajos escritos extensos (trabajos de investigación, tesis, etc.). Sin embargo, son bienvenidos los trabajos escritos que incluyan textos cortos, poemas, obras de teatro, composiciones musicales, etc.

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