Guide to Preparing Your Application
Congratulations! We are SO excited you are applying for the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing High School Award!
The purpose of this document is to provide you with tips for the content included in the application. For help on how to use the application in the portal, take a look at the AiC HS Award Step-by-Step Guide.
You can always ask us any questions you have about the application process or the application questions themselves. We are happy to help!
- email us: [email protected]
Preparing Your Application
The application is divided into sections. You will need to complete all of the sections before you can submit your application for the award.
1. Instructions and Language Selection
- This section provides general instructions for completing the application, including guidance on the use of AI.
- This section asks what language you plan to use - English and Spanish are supported.
2. Experience with Technology
- This section has one written response question (required 25-250 words, recommended 100-250 words) about your experience with technology. You may respond in essay format or in bullet-point format.
- Read through the question before beginning
- The question is:
- Describe your journey of working with technology, including how you became interested and the experiences you have had since then. Be sure to provide specific details on your technology skills and activities
- Optional: If you have examples demonstrating your efforts and experience that you would like to share with us - such as a personal website, portfolio of Tech work, or video demonstration - please provide link(s) to the content. (URLs only; no uploads permitted)
- Describe your journey of working with technology, including how you became interested and the experiences you have had since then. Be sure to provide specific details on your technology skills and activities
3. Technology's Role in Your Future
- In this section we ask about how you envision technology will play a role in your future, as well as how you think about creating and using technology.
- This section contains three written response questions (required 25-250 words, recommended 100-250 words):
- Describe how technology may play a central role as you imagine your future (including education, hobbies, career).
- Explain how you could use technology to solve a real-world problem you are passionate about (this could be a social problem, a technical problem, a local problem, a world problem, etc.).
- Technologies are designed to help meet human needs. How would you ensure that technology meets needs without harming people?
- Describe how technology may play a central role as you imagine your future (including education, hobbies, career).
4. Activities
- This section asks you to rate your level of involvement (none, some participation, or a lot of participation) in a list of Curricular, Co-curricular, and Extracurricular activities. Note: All questions are scored unless otherwise indicated.
- The list includes items such as computing/technology classes, clubs, or other extra-curricular programs or activities such as Girl Scouts, 4H, Big Brothers Big Sisters, etc.
5. Access to Computing/Technology
- This section asks about your access to technology and computing at home and school. Note all multiple-choice questions are scored.
- Here you may also share other impediments to your study and pursuit of technology interests, whether financial, situational, lack of opportunity or otherwise.
6. Additional Information
- This section asks what your parents' highest level of education is.
- This section asks if and how you used AI in preparing your application.
7. Terms Privacy & Policy
- This section asks you to review and acknowledge the terms & conditions for the NCWIT AiC High School award
Additional Tips for Preparing Your Application
- Draft your written response questions outside of the application portal (i.e. in Word, Notes, or a Google Doc) just in case you run into technical issues submitting your application--this way, your work will be saved elsewhere should you need to re-submit.
- Don’t struggle; ask for help.
- Reach out to a teacher, friend, parent, or us here at NCWIT for any questions or guidance on the application process.
- Use specific examples to illustrate your experience/points you are writing about.
- Proofread your work.
- You have the option to save your work and complete your application later if you are not ready or need more time to submit (before the deadline).
- Successful writers always ask for proofreading help--ask someone to proofread your written response answers to check for spelling, grammar, or other typos that will distract reviewers from understanding your story.