My City Magazine

Essay Contest & Scholarship 2016 Terms & Conditions

My City Magazine Essay Contest & Scholarship 2016 – Terms & Conditions

 

Deadlines

Prompt 1: Compose an essay about how Greater Flint/Genesee County, their community, their school, a significant person, or a significant event has shaped who you are.
Word Count: Minimum 500 words – Maximum 1,000 words
Due Date: All submissions must be submitted no later than 11:59pm on June 30th, 2016.

Prompt 2: Compose an essay about your thoughts on social media. Defined the topic as you see it in today’s world. How has it impacted you? The topic is open to interpretation and we are looking for original and creative ideas.
Word Count: Minimum 500 words – Maximum 1,000 words
Due Date: All submissions must be submitted no later than 11:59pm on September 30th, 2016.

Grand Prize Scholarship winner will be announced January 1, 2017

 

In September and December of 2016, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place winners will be announced. Writer of 1st Place essay will receive a $500 scholarship and 2nd and 3rd Place will each receive $250 scholarships.

The two 1st Place winners from September and December 2016 will be under consideration for the $2,500 Grand Prize Scholarship, which will be announced in January 2017.

My City Magazine readers and Genesee Country residents will be invited to visit My City’s website and vote once for their favorite of the two 1st Place essays. The My City Magazine Essay Contest Committee shall select the winner of the Grand Prize Scholarship, but family and friends of the applicant, readers of My City Magazine, and the general public will be able to cast one vote by signing in with an e-mail address. Voter e-mail addresses will be held in confidence. My City Magazine Essay Contest will not contact voters and will not sell or share voter e-mail addresses with anyone.

 

Contest Requirements

  • Applicants must be an enrolled Genesee County high school student with senior status.
  • To be eligible for a scholarship, Applicants must be in good academic and behavioral standing with the educational institution they attend.
  • Essays must be original works that have never won a previous writing or essay contest.
  • Essays must have a title and a byline.
  • Applicants may enter only one essay per topic.
  • Applicants can enter more than one contest if they receive 2nd or 3rd Place in any previous contest period. Applicants who place 1st will not be eligible to enter future contests.
  • All entries must be submitted or postmarked by midnight on the given deadline. Late entries will not be considered.
  • All essays will be read and reviewed as-is by My City Magazine Essay Contest Committee.
  • Judges will consider: original voice, unique style, fresh point of view, creativity, descriptive language, authenticity or “realness” of the entry, and overall clarity and control over the writing.
  • Essays must adhere to Basic English spelling/grammar/mechanic rules.
  • All essays will be read in conjunction with the rules and requirements listed above, as well as the essay prompt provided, and then judged accordingly.
  • MCM cannot answer any queries about the status of entries during judging process.
  • In final voting for the $2,500 Grand Prize Scholarship, the judging process consists of the My City Magazine Essay Contest Committee (MCM Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Editor, various GISD administrators, and various local college/university administrative members.
    • The public will have the opportunity to vote online by submitting their e-mail address, to ensure that they only vote once. Voter e-mail addresses will be held in confidence. My City Magazine Essay Contest will not contact voters and will not sell or share voter e-mail addresses with anyone.
    • While the Committee may take online votes into account, the Committee shall select the winner in its sole discretion, and the decision of the Committee shall be final.

Scholarship

  • Applicant hereby transfers to My City Magazine Essay Contest, the exclusive copyright interest in the Applicant’s essay, in all formats and media of expression, now known or later developed, including electronic and printed form. My City Magazine Essay Contest shall have the right to publish Applicant’s essay on the My City Magazine website, in My City Magazine, and in any other format.
  • Applicant grants to My City Magazine Essay Contest the right to take photographs of the Applicant, and authorizes My City Magazine Essay Contest and its assigns to copyright, use and publish the same in print and/or electronically, with or without the Applicant’s name for any lawful purpose, including illustration, advertising and web content.
  • If there are only two submissions, the Committee has the right to select only a 1st Place Winner. Alternatively, the Committee could award a 1st Place and 2nd Place based on quality of submission.
  • Scholarship recipients are selected on an objective and non-discriminatory basis.
  • Any Scholarship recipients under the age of 18 must provide a parent’s or legal guardian’s signature before being awarded scholarship funds.
  • Scholarship recipients must submit a statement form signed by a GISD teacher of their choice, to verify the essay is the applicant’s original work,before being awarded scholarship funds.
  • Those responsible for selecting scholarship recipients are not in the position to derive an economic benefit – directly or indirectly – from the scholarship process, and relatives of Committee members are not eligible for scholarship awards.
    • Relatives of substantial contributors (as defined by the IRS) are ineligible for scholarship awards.
  • Applicant must designate an educational institution on the application/entry form. All scholarship awards will be paid directly to the educational institution as long as the educational institution is able to receive scholarships.
  • Scholarships may not be sold, transferred or assigned and are not convertible to cash.
  • Recipients will have 24 months from the award date to use the scholarship. After 24 months, the unused portion shall be the sole propriety of the MCM Scholarship Fund.
  • If recipient decides not to attend an institution, the scholarship funds will be returned to the MCM Scholarship Fund.
    • It is the responsibility of the My City Magazine Scholarship Fund to investigate how the scholarship is used at the institution in which it was awarded to. If after the 24 months has passed, the My City Magazine Scholarship Fund will request the scholarship from the institution to be put back into the Scholarship Fund. If the institution’s policy states that the scholarship cannot be returned to the Scholarship Fund, we will allow the institution to put the scholarship – while keeping the title of My City Magazine Scholarship – to the institution’s general scholarship fund. The institution must use this general scholarship within 24 months.
  • Any false statements, misrepresentations, or plagiarisms made by Scholarship Applicants may be grounds for dismissal from consideration and grounds for revocation of the award in the sole discretion of the Committee.
  • My City Magazine shall award scholarship in its sole discretion. All decisions are final and binding on the award recipient. The Committee reserves the right to modify these rules and requirements without notice.