POSSE Scholarship

What is the POSSE Scholarship? Founded in 1989, the POSSE foundation identifies, recruits, and trains students with extraordinary leadership and academic potential. POSSE scholars receive a full-tuition scholarship to 1 of the 6 colleges that are partnered with DC. There objective is to send a posse of 10 students (a posse is a group) to college together so that they can receive support and support each other to be successful in college and graduate from college.

How to Prepare for your 1st Interview? (Group Activities Interview)

• Read the email that they sent you that outlines the following:

  • When is your POSSE interview? (MAKE sure you arrive EARLY to the interview - at least 30 minutes early if it in person; 15 minutes early if its virtual)

  • Where is it located? (Address? Is it virtual?)

  • Do you need to get a letter from your parents to be able to leave school early to make the interview. 

  • What are you supposed to wear? Business Casual

    • • REMEMBER, 1ST IMPRESSIONS ARE EVERYTHING.

  • What do you need to bring with you?

  • How long is the 1st POSSE Interview? Typically the 1st POSSE interview is 3-4 hours

• Research

  • Directions to get to your interview

    • What are you going to eat before the 3 hour interview?

  • POSSE Website - mission, goals,

    • Go to their website and research the following: https://www.possefoundation.org/

      • • What is POSSE?

        • When did it start?

        • Where did it start?

        • What is their mission?

        • What are their 3 goals.

        • What are the 4 components of the POSSE program?

        • What are the DC POSSE colleges?

        • What are the requirements for applying to the scholarship?

• Talk to your School Counselor or College and Career Coordinator to get a pass to be released from school early to get to your interview EARLY.

• At the interview

  • Have a Positive Attitude

  • Be engaged

  • PARTICPATE

  • Be prepared to show people who you are

  • Ask questions during the Info Session.

  • Speak out!

  • Participate in the Group Discussion

  • Participate in the Small discussions and activities

  • BE courageous. You have to speak up to get to the next round.

  • Be prepared to take notes at the info session.

  • Talk about yourself in a way that's memorable. (Don't be afraid to use anecdotes so people can learn more about you.)

  • Be involved.

  • Be interactive.

  • Be prepared to play games.

  • Be prepared to debate controversial topics and hold intellectual conversations. 

  • Participate in teamwork activities.

  • Act like you are REALLY EXCITED to be there!

  • Show your leadership skills

  • But, don't have a take over spirit

  • Be respectful. Show gratitude.

  • Be friendly.

  • Act normal. 

  • Be yourself!

  • Be ready to write a short essay on why you should be selected as a scholar?

  • Send a thank you email after the interview has ended.

Sample Activities of 1st Round Group Interview Day:

• Leggo Challenge - which group an run and memorize the leggo build the best. 

• Create a skit based on a topic that they give you (e.g. police brutality)

• Write an essay (topic of your choice).

Preparing for the 2nd Round of the POSSE Interview (One-on-one interview)

Questions for you to answer and reflect on? (These may not be the exact questions used this year, but these are examples of the questions that have been asked in the past)

• What are the top 3 POSSE schools that you are interested in? Why did you choose these schools over the others? What did you learn from your research of each of the schools? Do they offer your major?

• What is your 5-year plan? (Where do you see yourself in 5 years?)

  • What are your future goals and plans? What do you envision for yourself in the future? What are some things you are passionate about? What are your values?

• If you were a superhero, who would you be, and what would your super power be?

• How are you a good fit for the POSSE Scholarship program?

• What is your story? What makes you unique?

  • • What's your personal story? Did something major happen in your life; and what did you learn from that experience?

    • How are your academics? Have you taken honors or AP courses? How many times have you been on the Honor Roll?

    • Tell 2 stories about your Leadership experience? How have you been a leader in the past? What leadership skills do you have?

    • What Extracurricular activities are you a part in both in school and out of school? 

    • What would receiving the POSSE scholarship mean to you?

  • Please give examples of your skills, talents or strengths that are regularly overlooked

  • Outside of education what would you say your passions are?

  • What would you do on a 75-degree weekend day?

  • What is your motivation for working on a college access program?

  • Give a description of the neighborhood where you were raised

  • Describe your style of leadership

  • Give your interpretation of diverse

  • What’s your favored style of management?

  • Explain how you would deal with an upset customer

  • Give an example of a crucial piece of feedback that you have been given

  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?

  • What was the best team that you ever worked within?

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POSSE DC NOMINATOR ORIENTATION