OUR MISSION: UWC makes education a force to unite ... - UWC-USA

Do you want to become a world citizen?
I am writing to you about an extraordinary opportunity to apply for a full
merit scholarship to attend UWC-USA, or one of our sister schools in Bosnia/
Herzegovina, Canada, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, India, Italy, the Netherlands,
Norway, Singapore, Swaziland, or Wales.
UWCs are two-year, international residential schools (usually grades 11 and
12, or grades 12 and 13, depending on when you apply and are accepted) that
foster intellectual curiosity, international understanding, and leadership skills
in dynamic, multicultural, and academically challenging environments. Most
UWC campuses are composed
OUR MISSION:
UWC makes education a
force to unite people, nations,
and cultures for peace and a
sustainable future.
of 200 students from 60 to 90
countries. Nelson Mandela and
Her Majesty Queen Noor serve as
Honorary President and President,
respectively, of the UWCs.
Thanks to the Davis Scholars
Program, all 50 US students
selected each year to attend a
UWC are awarded full merit scholarships covering tuition, room, and board.
Additional financial aid for medical insurance, travel, and incidental expenses is
available to students with demonstrated need.
Admission to UWC is very competitive, and US students apply to UWCs
through the application process outlined on www.uwc-usa.org/admission. Our
online application is available in October and is due in January. There is no
application fee.
Each year, our students are recruited by prominent colleges from around the
world. In recent years, close to a quarter of UWC-USA’s graduating class has
matriculated to Ivy League and other highly regarded colleges and universities.
Please visit www.uwc-usa.org for extensive information on application
requirements, academics, and co-curricular programs. Additional information
about the UWC movement, including links to the other schools, can be
found at www.uwc.org. If you have further questions, please contact us at
admission@uwc-usa.org or on facebook at www.facebook.com/UWCUSA.
Respectfully,
Tim Smith
Director of Admission
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Albuquerque, NM
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UWC-USA
PO Box 248
Montezuma, NM 87731
USA
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the opportunity of a lifetime

HISTORY
UWC-USA is a two-year, pre-university
international school for students 16 to 19
years of age.
Founded in 1982 by philanthropist Armand
Hammer, the Armand Hammer United World
College of the American West (UWC-USA)
hosts 200 students from more than 75
nations. UWC-USA is part of a worldwide
movement of UWCs which include schools in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canada, Costa Rica, Hong
Kong, India, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway,
Singapore, Swaziland, Venezuela, and Wales.
UWCs share a common philosophy and
mission, but geography and other individual
characteristics shape each campus. Student
ambassadors are drawn from an extensive
range of nationalities, ethnicities, religions,
and political persuasions, and are recruited
and chosen in their home countries by
volunteer UWC national committees.
GEOGRAPHY AND FACILITIES
Montezuma, New Mexico is located in
the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, the
southernmost point of the Rockies. The
UWC-USA campus is a historic site situated
on a small river in the wooded Gallinas
Canyon at an altitude of 6,700 feet (2,060
meters). It is on the edge of the Pecos
Wilderness area.
The nearest city is Las Vegas, New Mexico
(pop. 15,000) which is five miles away from
the campus. Santa Fe and Taos are 68 and
78 miles away, respectively. The closest
international airport is in Albuquerque which
is 123 miles from the school.
UWC-USA’s facilities include six student
dormitories with wireless internet, the historic
Montezuma Castle—which houses two
student dorms, faculty residences, class and
seminar rooms, a student center, offices, and
a cafeteria—classrooms with audio-visual
equipment, a state-of-the-art technology
center, a recording studio, science laboratories,
an indoor field house (complete with a
gymnasium, dance studios, fitness centers,
and squash courts), a health clinic, an indoor
swimming pool, and a meditation/prayer space.
Playing fields are used year-round for soccer,
field hockey, cricket, baseball, and ultimate
Frisbee. Nature trails, national forest, and
wilderness areas are within walking distance.
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
UWCs are International Baccalaureate (IB)
upper level secondary schools, which offer a
two-year, pre-university course of study. The
IB Diploma is the most widely recognized and
respected secondary school diploma in the
world. The Diploma is earned by completing
six subjects in six different academic
disciplines. IB subjects offered at UWC-USA
include languages, anthropology, history,
physics, chemistry, biology, environmental
systems, mathematics, theatre arts, music,
and visual art.
CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS
The weather in New Mexico is mostly sunny.
Even during the winter students can enjoy
outdoor exercise. Overnight backpacking trips,
soccer, and cross-country skiing expeditions
are among some of the popular outdoor
activities at UWC-USA.
Students are offered a variety of opportunities
to participate in theatre, music, film, and
fine arts by engaging in the myriad of cocurricular
programs. UWC students stage
theatrical performances and musical concerts
which often feature original compositions.
In addition, students organize cultural days
which include regional culinary specialties,
skits, songs, and dances.
UWC-USA schedules many weekends for
extended community service and wilderness
trips. It also provides occasional excursions
to historic Santa Fe, Taos, and nearby Native
American pueblos. Each spring, students
participate in a variety of off-campus projects
during a 10-day Project Week. Projects have
included service and learning opportunities
on the US-Mexico border, biodiversity
explorations of the Pecos Wilderness, and
hiking expeditions to the Grand Canyon
WILDERNESS
Sustainability is at the heart of the UWC
mission. At UWC-USA, the Wilderness Program
augments the school’s commitment to
current and future preservation of the planet’s
ecosystem by introducing students to the
wilderness of the American West and offering
training in wilderness survival and CPR. This
direct, personal training fosters respect and
appreciation for the value of natural areas on
physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Community service is a fundamental part
of the UWC movement and a required
component of the IB. Most service at
UWC-USA takes place in nearby Las Vegas,
New Mexico. Students work with a range
of organizations to offer peer counseling,
tutoring, assisting in shelter and home repair,
and implementing community arts and
science initiatives. On campus, services such as
recycling and composting are also done, and
opportunities exist for service in international
settings like Copper Canyon, Mexico.
GLOBAL ISSUES AND THE
CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT
OF CONFLICT
The unique Global Issues and Constructive
Engagement of Conflict programs at UWC-USA
assist students in developing skills in
facilitation, intercultural communication, peer
mediation, and community-based action and
research. UWC-USA views these skills as core
competencies for living the UWC mission.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Office of Admission
UWC-USA
PO Box 248
Montezuma, NM 87731-0248
+1 505-454-4201
admission@uwc-usa.org
www.uwc-usa.org/admission
Apply
to be one of 50 Davis Scholars
ELIGIBILITY
US students apply to UWC in early
January of their 10th or 11th grade year of
secondary school.
Applicants must be US citizens or
permanent US residents.
Applicants must be either 16 or 17 years
old on September 1 of the year they
intend to matriculate.
Applicants’ current achievement must
suggest academic qualification for taking
on the IB’s rigorous two-year, preuniversity
curriculum.
ADMISSION AND FINANCIAL AID
The application deadline is in January for
entrance the following academic year.
US applicants are required to submit
scores from at least one of the following
tests: ACT, PLAN, PSAT, or SAT. At least
one of the examinations should be taken
in the fall or early winter before the
admission deadline. Scores on standardized
tests will be evaluated within the context
of grade level and overall academic
achievement. There are no minimum
scores, but successful US applicants are
usually in the top decile.
Written recommendations from a teacher,
school counselor, and an activity advisor
are required.
Register with a yahoo or gmail account
only. All other email accounts fail to work
well with our application.
Each year 50 US students are accepted.
UWC-USA enrolls 25 US students and the
other 25 students represent the US at the
other UWCs.
Applicants should be genuinely committed
to the mission and ideals of the UWC
movement. The Selection Committee
looks for students who are socially mature
and ethically responsible. They should
possess the confidence, strength, and
self-reflection necessary to offer positive
contributions in an international and
cross-cultural school community.
Applicants should present evidence of
commitment to serving others. Community
service is a requirement for the IB Diploma
and an integral part of the UWC experience.
Semi-finalists for the Davis Scholars
program are required to attend an
interview. Normally these are held
on weekends in March and April at
approximately 20 locations across the US.
US applicants are notified of their
admission status by late April.
All accepted US students are awarded Davis
Scholarships. The Davis Scholars Program
funds the full tuition, room, and board for
all accepted US students to attend any of
the UWCs. All US students apply through
the process outlined at www.uwc-usa.org/
admission. It is not possible for US citizens
to apply directly to the UWCs.
Additional need-based aid for travel,
pocket money, and other incidental
expenses of attending a UWC is available
to students who qualify. Families of
accepted students who need such
assistance should contact the Office
of Admission at +1 505-454-4201 or
admission@uwc-usa.org.