The New Saint Andrews Scholars Competition
Compete for one of the largest merit scholarships awarded at NSA
New Saint Andrews Scholars Competition
August 21-22, 2026
What Is This Scholarship Weekend About?
The New Saint Andrews Scholars Competition is more than a campus tour.
It is an opportunity to experience New Saint Andrews firsthand while demonstrating the abilities that define classical Christian education.
Over two days, participants will engage in a series of academic exercises, interviews, and rigorous tests that allow our faculty to recognize students with exceptional promise.
Participants will attend classes and campus events, meet faculty and alumni, spend time with fellow applicants from across the country, and compete for some of the college's most significant incoming-student scholarships.
Who Should Apply?
This opportunity is designed for high-achieving high school seniors who:
- Love learning and rigorous debate
- Pursue academic excellence
- Thrive in a classical Christian environment
- Value meaningful mentorship and real community
- Desire to graduate prepared to shape culture faithfully
If that describes you, we encourage you to apply.
What To Expect
This competition is not merely an assessment of academic achievement. It is an opportunity to demonstrate perseverance, wisdom, eloquence, and the fortitude required to pursue truth faithfully and to lead courageously.
Recitation
Participate in a prompt provided by a faculty member to discuss an assigned reading. Recitation tests more than recollection. It reveals attentiveness, discipline, and the ability to inhabit great ideas with confidence and grace.
Alumni Interview
Engage in thoughtful conversation with New Saint Andrews alumni who will examine your aspirations, intellectual interests, Christian convictions, and preparedness for the opportunities and responsibilities of collegiate life.
Timed Essay
Respond to an unfamiliar prompt under the constraints of time and scrutiny. Participants will be expected to marshal their thoughts with clarity, reason persuasively, and communicate with precision and eloquence.
CLT Examination
Complete a proctored Classic Learning Test alongside fellow competitors. The examination measures verbal reasoning, mathematical aptitude, and comprehension within the context of the classical tradition.
Students must attain a qualifying CLT score of 77 or higher to remain eligible for scholarship consideration.
Impromptu Declamation
Speak without preparation before peers and an academic review committee. This exercise calls for courage under pressure, agility of mind, and the ability to articulate truth with composure and rhetorical skill.
Faculty Interviews
Meet individually with New Saint Andrews faculty members in conversations intended to discern intellectual curiosity, teachability, Christian maturity, and the capacity to flourish within a rigorous community of learning.
Formal Dinner
Conclude your weekend with a large formal dinner reception attended by administrative staff and faculty, as awards are announced for outstanding scholars.
Take The Next Step
Click the link below to schedule a meeting with one of our recruitment team advisors to receive a link to apply for this incredible opportunity.
Send Me An Application
Why New Saint Andrews?
At New Saint Andrews, education is not preparation for a particular career.
It is preparation to go boldly and shape culture, living faithfully under the Lordship of Christ.
Students study within the classical Christian tradition, learning to love what is true, good, and beautiful while developing the wisdom and courage necessary to lead in every sphere of society.
Graduates leave equipped to build families, businesses, churches, schools, and institutions that honor Christ.
This scholarship competition seeks students who are eager to embrace that calling.
Scholarship Awards
At the conclusion of the weekend, the academic review committee will award scholarships to one student per scholarship:
Calvin Scholarship
100% Tuition Scholarship (renewable with a 3.5 GPA)
Cicero Scholarship
50% Tuition Scholarship (renewable with a 3.5 GPA)
Socrates Scholarship
25% Tuition Scholarship (renewable with a 3.5 GPA)
Recipients will be announced during the formal dinner concluding our Scholar Competition.