Frequently Asked Questions
. . . about the Wendell Prize
Eligibility for Application
1. Who is eligible to apply for the Wendell Prize?
2. Are students who are taking a leave of absence eligible to apply for the Wendell Prize?
3. The official name of this prize is the “Jacob Wendell Scholarship Prize.” Does this mean that it is a scholarship?
Writing Sample
4. What type of writing sample should applicants submit?
5. Can the writing sample be revised before it is submitted for the Wendell Prize?
6. Are writing samples produced during the summer eligible for submission?
7. Can an essay in a foreign language be submitted as the writing sample?
8. Can a co-authored essay be submitted for consideration?
Wendell Essay
9. What should applicants address in their Wendell essay?
10. May an applicant use AI or the work of others on their Wendell application?
Transcript
11. Where can students get electronic versions of their unofficial transcript?
Letter of Recommendation and Waiver Form
12. What do applicants need to know about the required letter of recommendation?
13. May applicants request a letter of recommendation from an instructor with whom they worked or took courses over the summer?
14. Should the waiver form accompany a request for a letter of recommendation?
15. Who is responsible for getting letters of recommendation to the Prize Office?
16. Is it possible for more than one letter of recommendation to be submitted on behalf of an applicant for the Wendell Prize?
Deadline
17. Is a prize deadline dependent on the location of the person submitting materials for a prize?
18. How far in advance should applicants begin working on their Wendell Prize applications?
19. What should applicants do if they encounter difficulty with the application?
Notification
20. When will applicants be notified about the selection committee’s decision?
Eligibility for Application
1. Who is eligible to apply for the Wendell Prize?
Students who complete their first two terms at Harvard College in the top tier of their class are eligible to apply for the Jacob Wendell Prize. Eligible students will be invited to apply by the Prize Office in July after their first year at Harvard. Students who have been invited to apply for the Wendell Prize should click here for further instructions.
2. Are students who are taking a leave of absence eligible to apply for the Wendell Prize?
Students who are on leave are not eligible to apply for the Wendell Prize.
3. The official name of this prize is the “Jacob Wendell Scholarship Prize.” Does this mean that it is a scholarship?
No. Although some prizes, including the Wendell Prize, have the word “scholarship” in their titles, they are not need-based and are awarded as prizes. The winner of the Wendell Prize is known as a Wendell Scholar.
Writing Sample
4. What type of writing sample should applicants submit?
Applicants should submit their best piece of written work produced for a course or Harvard-sponsored activity during the fall or spring term of their first year at the College. The Wendell Prize selection committee encourages applicants to submit research papers they wrote for upper-level classes when possible.
5. Can the writing sample be revised before it is submitted for the Wendell Prize?
No. The writing sample submitted for the Wendell Prize should not be revised, though only the text of the paper should be submitted. Any comments about the paper by the student or by the instructor should be removed.
6. Are writing samples produced during the summer eligible for submission?
No. For the purposes of the Wendell Prize, the “first year” consists of the fall and spring terms of a student’s first year at Harvard and does not include the preceding or following summers.
7. Can an essay in a foreign language be submitted as the writing sample?
Yes. However, a complete English translation must accompany the original essay.
8. Can a co-authored essay be submitted for consideration?
No. The Wendell Prize is designed to recognize the individual excellence of a student; therefore, papers written in collaboration with another person are not eligible for submission.
Wendell Essay
9. What should applicants address in their Wendell essay?
Wendell Scholars have both intellectual depth and range. Students applying for the Wendell Prize are asked to submit a two-paragraph essay of no more than 500 words about their first year at Harvard. The first paragraph should focus on an academic experience during their first year at Harvard that meaningfully deepened their insight into or knowledge of a given area of inquiry. The second paragraph should focus on an academic experience during their first year at Harvard that meaningfully expanded their intellectual range or horizons.
10. May an applicant use AI or the work of others on their Wendell application?
No. All parts of the Wendell application must be the applicant's own work, including the Wendell Essay. The use of ChatGPT or any other artificial intelligence (AI) tools for any part of the Wendell application is forbidden.
Transcript
11. Where can students get electronic versions of their unofficial transcript?
To get an electronic version of their unofficial transcript, students should visit my.Harvard and select “Student” at the top of the page. Before viewing their transcript, students should confirm that the correct school is selected in the upper-left corner of the page. They should then select “Course & Grade History.” On the Course & Grade History page, select “Unofficial Transcripts” in the upper-right corner. See Viewing Unofficial Transcripts on my.Harvard for more information.
Letter of Recommendation and Waiver Form
12. What do applicants need to know about the required letter of recommendation?
The letter of recommendation submitted on behalf of a Wendell applicant must be written by an instructor who taught or worked with the applicant during the applicant’s first year at Harvard and should focus on the range and depth of the applicant’s academic abilities. Applicants are advised to request this letter from an instructor who knows them well. Given the demands on instructors’ time, applicants should request this letter as early as possible in the application process.
13. May applicants request a letter of recommendation from an instructor with whom they worked or took courses over the summer?
No. For the purposes of the Wendell Prize, the “first year” consists of the fall and spring terms of a student’s first year at Harvard and does not include the preceding or following summers.
14. Should the waiver form accompany a request for a letter of recommendation?
Yes. When students ask their instructor for a letter of recommendation, they give the recommender a copy of the waiver form (click the link) that they have electronically filled out and signed. This form contains important instructions for the recommender about submitting the letter of recommendation. Students will also upload the signed waiver form when submitting the online application form.
15. Who is responsible for getting letters of recommendation to the Prize Office?
Recommenders should email their letters of recommendation to the Prize Office at prizes@fas.harvard.edu by the prize deadline. Applications that are not complete by the deadline, including those missing a letter of recommendation, will not be considered by the selection committee.
16. Is it possible for more than one letter of recommendation to be submitted on behalf of an applicant for the Wendell Prize?
No. Only one letter of recommendation will be accepted.
Deadline
17. Is a prize deadline dependent on the location of the person submitting materials for a prize?
No. All application materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the day of the deadline. Prize Office deadlines are strictly observed.
18. How far in advance should applicants begin working on their Wendell Prize applications?
Applicants are advised to begin the application process early. The Wendell Prize application has many parts, all of which must be received by the Prize Office by 11:59 p.m. on the day of the deadline. These requirements include a writing sample; a Wendell essay; an unofficial transcript that needs to be downloaded from my.Harvard; and a letter of recommendation that the recommender will need time to write, which is accompanied by a waiver form that needs to be electronically filled out, signed, and submitted by the student. All parts of the application must be received by the Prize Office by the deadline in order for the application to be eligible for review by the selection committee.
19. What should applicants do if they encounter difficulty with the application?
If students encounter difficulty with any portion of the Wendell Prize application, they should immediately email the Prize Office at prizes@fas.harvard.edu.
Notification
20. When will applicants be notified about the selection committee’s decision?
Finalists for the Wendell Prize will be chosen by the selection committee by the end of November and will be interviewed by the committee shortly thereafter. The new Wendell Scholar will be announced by the end of December. All applicants will be notified of the results of the competition at the conclusion of the prize.