Clare Boothe Luce Undergraduate Scholarship

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Clare Boothe Luce scholars will be chosen on the basis of their demonstrated record of achievement as well as their potential to make significant contributions when they have become established in their fields. 

Scholarship Application

Who is Eligible?

In following the guidelines of the Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship, scholars must satisfy all of these criteria: 

  1. Identify as female;
  2. Be a declared major in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Physical Sciences, or Toxicology and have completed their first year at St. John’s University;
  3. Be a US citizen, or US permanent resident;
  4. Be in high academic standing as evidenced in the following:
  5. Attained a 3.5 overall grade point average, or 3.25 overall grade point average (GPA) with a 3.5 GPA in all mathematics, science, and computer science courses; to determine major or science GPA, run an advisement report.
  6. Have a combined Math and Verbal score of 1100 on the SAT examination (24 on the ACT);
  7. Scholarly promise, capacity for independent thinking and research, and potential for leadership in the subject field, as evidenced in letters of recommendation.
  8. Must not be planning a career in medicine or health sciences (including dentistry, pharmacy, and physician assistant) 

Amount of award

When combined with other forms of financial aid for which the scholar may be eligible, the Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship provides support for full academic year (fall and spring semester) tuition and fees. (NO ROOM and BOARD). Clare Boothe Luce Scholarships do not support study abroad. Other support may be included depending upon the specific situation of the applicant. 

Application Information

The Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship application consists of

  • An application form
  • A personal essay (see question information below)
  • Your CV or résumé
  • Your current spring schedule
  • An unofficial transcript
  • Two letters of recommendation from faculty members emailed directly to [email protected]

Personal Essay. How do your experiences and aspirations complement the purposes of the Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship Program? Include the following:

  • Describe your research
  • Provide examples/evidence of your commitment to research and pursuit of an academic/research career
  • Discuss what you have done and might do in the future to foster the role of women in science

This essay must consist of a minimum of one and maximum of three double-spaced pages in 12-point, Times New Roman font. Include a header with your full name and CBL Application. This must be specific, detailed, and scholarly to satisfy reviewers from your own discipline, but clear, concise, and accessible enough to be understood by reviewers outside your discipline.

Timeline for the 2024-2025 awards

  • March—eligible students invited to apply for a CBL award
  • April 17—application deadline: all materials must be submitted
  • April/May—applicants are notified of decision

Additional Information

Clare Boothe Luce was truly a Renaissance woman. Her remarkable career spanned seven decades and nearly as many professional interests: journalism, politics, diplomacy, and the theater. In each of those fields she excelled. In each, she broke new paths for women to follow.

Not content with her achievements, Ms. Luce was always eager to consider new topics, to test new hypotheses, and to encourage other women to achieve their own potential. Characteristically, she declined to restrict her vision to the fields in which she had established her reputation. Under the terms of her will, she chose instead to establish the legacy which is now known as the Clare Boothe Luce Fund and which will benefit current and future generations of women with talent and ambition in areas where, in our society, they continue to be underrepresented.

St. John’s University, which awarded Ms. Luce an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree in 1964, was designated in her will as one of the beneficiaries of the Clare Boothe Luce Fund. St. John’s University is one of 13 educational institutions specifically designated in Ms. Luce’s will to receive the income from an initial allocation in perpetuity.