Classical Scholar Talent Search

Test your mettle against the great questions.

Eligibility: Open to students in the last two to two-and-a-half years of high school. No cost to participate.
Timing: Join the search today. Results are announced in June and December each year.

What Is the Classical Scholar Talent Search?

The Classical Scholar Talent Search is a national program that invites high school students to demonstrate the skills at the heart of a Great Books education: close reading, serious writing, and live Socratic discussion.

Participants complete a reading exam drawn from classical authors, write an intellectual autobiography discussing their relationship with classical texts, and join a live seminar on a Platonic dialogue led by Ricketts Great Books College® faculty. The entire program takes place online and is free to enter.

Top performers earn nationally recognized distinctions they can list on any college application, along with scholarship opportunities at Ricketts Great Books College®. More than a competition, the Talent Search is a chance to experience what real Great Books learning feels like—and to discover whether you’re ready for it.

Requirements to apply:

Complete an Online Reading Exam

Five substantial passages from authors such as Plato, Aristotle, James Madison, Frederick Douglas, and John Stuart Mill. You’ll answer short-answer questions that test not just what you read, but how carefully you read it, in which you will identify arguments, trace inferences, and recognize tone and structure. Timed at 60–90 minutes and administered online.

Write an Intellectual Autobiography Essay

In 1,000–1,500 words, tell the story of how you became the kind of person who cares about ideas. Connect that story to one classical or canonical text that has shaped how you think about education. This is not a typical college essay. It’s a chance to reflect seriously on your own intellectual formation.

Attend a Socratic Seminar on a Platonic Dialogue

Read a short dialogue by Plato, selected 24 hours before the seminar, and join a live 60–75 minute seminar via Zoom with 8–10 fellow participants, led by a Ricketts Great Books College® professor. This is the heart of the Great Books experience: a real conversation about a real text with people who take ideas seriously.

Recognition You Can Use Anywhere

Every participant receives feedback on their performance. The highest performers earn distinctions recognized by schools and colleges nationwide.

Participant:

(successful completion)

Completed all three components. Receives a digital certificate, portable badge, and a letter summarizing the rigor of the process.

Distinction

(top 25%)

Distinction certificate, letter sent to your school and counselor, and listing on the Classical Scholars Honor Roll.

High Distinction

(top 10%)

Regional Classical Scholar title, enhanced web recognition, and a merit scholarship to Ricketts Great Books College®.

Top Scholar

(highest per state/region)

Top Scholar certificate, a personalized letter from the Provost, and a named scholarship offer.

Earn a distinction you can list on any college application. Show the world you have been recognized as someone who can think, write, and speak deeply about real texts.

Is This Program a Good Fit for You?

For Students

If you love reading, if you find yourself drawn to philosophy, literature, history, or theology, if you’d rather debate an idea than memorize a fact, this is for you. Even if you’re not sure where you want to go to college, this is a chance to see how you perform in a true Great Books environment.

For Parents

The Talent Search gives you a serious, third-party, classical-friendly assessment of your student’s readiness for rigorous college work. Rather than another generic test score, you receive feedback grounded in actual reading, writing, and live seminar performance. Your student also builds a meaningful portfolio piece, an intellectual autobiography, that will serve them in other applications and scholarships. College-level reading, writing, and discussion, without the cost or travel and they receive a distinction they can list on any college application.

For Educators and Counselors

A no-cost recognition program that validates your top humanities students in a way standardized tests often miss. The Talent Search is an academically serious, text-based assessment run by experienced Great Books educators. Your students earn an award and a meaningful classroom-alternative experience; you gain stronger evidence of their readiness. Because the components are text-based and scored with rubrics, you can reference the results when advising students about college fit.

Register for the Classical Scholar Talent Search

Registration is free and takes less than two minutes. Complete the form below to secure your place.