This year’s Mission Statement Scholarship selection committee will have nine members—a record number.

Rachael Capua, the assistant director of the sophomore and junior year experience, said the committee may have another new feature this year: a student representative.

“[The diverse committee] gives an opportunity for very, very different areas around campus to be a part of this effort,” Capua said.

Originally founded as the Ferrari Mission Award in 2002, the Mission Statement Scholarship is awarded annually by Student Development Services and the Chancellor’s Office.

Rising seniors are eligible to win one of the three $2,000 awards.

Serena Silvan, a senior marketing major with an international emphasis, was one of the winners of last year’s scholarship. She says she considers it a huge honor.

“It’s something that I say in job interviews, because I think it means a lot,” Silvan said.

The application consists of three parts: three letters of recommendation, a resume and writing submissions.

The first letter must be from a TCU professor. The second can also be from a professor, or a professional staff member. The third letter can be from anyone inside or outside the TCU community, whether a mentor or a former employer, Capua said.

Capua said that a well-crafted resume and writing submissions are an important part of the application.

The four writing submissions are 150-250 words regarding the different sections of TCU’s mission statement, Silvan said.

Michael Daniels, a senior entrepreneurial management major and one of the finalists of last year’s award, suggests talking to friends or mentors to help jog your memory on ways you’ve lived out the mission statement.

“They might be able to help you identify ways that, you know, you show qualities that you should talk about,” Daniels said.

Capua suggests that students start working on their essay responses now. The prompts can be found here.

She also recommends writing responses in a Word document, and then copying the answers into the application. This allows students to edit responses, while retaining a hard copy after the essays are submitted.

“They can use them for anything that might be needed from that point forward,” Capua said.

The application will close April 28 and the selection committee will begin the process of selecting six finalists. These finalists will be notified in late August, Capua said.

According to Capua, TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini and Provost Nowell Donovan select the winners, who will be announced at the Ring Ceremony on Sept. 20.

Michael Marshall, the chancellor’s intern and government affairs, said in an email that the Chancellor’s Office encourages all juniors to apply. Daniels agrees.

“I say apply,” Daniels said. “There’s nothing to lose, and there’s a lot to gain.”

The application opens Monday, March 30.