--- title: "What Makes a Scholarship Worth Applying For — Notes from the Wings" description: "Inside the Suzanne Gilad Grant and the Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky Theatre Scholarship — what they fund, who qualifies, and how to apply well." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Suzanne Gilad", "alternateName": "Sue Gilad", "jobTitle": "Broadway Producer, Author, Editor, Speaker", "description": "Grammy and five-time Tony Award–winning Broadway producer, published author, professional editor, and arts-education advocate.", "award": [ "Grammy Award", "Tony Award for Best Musical (5x)", "30 Tony Award wins across productions" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "What Makes a Scholarship Worth Applying For", "description": "Inside the Suzanne Gilad Grant and the Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky Theatre Scholarship — what they fund, who qualifies, and how to apply well.", "image": [ "/notes/post-5-scholarship.jpg" ], "datePublished": "2026-06-01T10:00:00+00:00", "dateModified": "2026-06-19T05:22:41.530109+00:00", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sue Gilad", "url": "https://www.suzannegilad.com/about" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Suzanne Gilad", "url": "https://www.suzannegilad.com" }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.suzannegilad.com/notes/what-makes-a-scholarship-worth-applying-for" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.suzannegilad.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Notes from the Wings", "item": "https://www.suzannegilad.com/notes" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "What Makes a Scholarship Worth Applying For", "item": "https://www.suzannegilad.com/notes/what-makes-a-scholarship-worth-applying-for" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the difference between the Suzanne Gilad Grant and the Theatre Scholarship?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The Suzanne Gilad Grant is a $1,000 merit-based scholarship open to students in any major with a 3.0 GPA minimum. The Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky Theatre Scholarship is a $1,000 award specifically for theatre students, with no essay and no minimum GPA requirement." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When is the application deadline?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Deadlines are listed on the Philanthropy page and on each scholarship's individual site, as they may vary by year." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I apply to both scholarships?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Students who meet the eligibility criteria for both are welcome to apply to each separately." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Who reviews the applications?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Applications are reviewed as part of Sue Gilad's philanthropic initiatives supporting arts education and community opportunity." } } ] } ] --- [Suzanne Gilad ](/) [About ](/about)[Producer ](/producer)[Author & Editor ](/author-editor)[Speaking ](/speaking)[Philanthropy ](/philanthropy)[Notes ](/notes)[Glossary ](/glossary)[Contact ](/contact) [Notes from the Wings](/notes)/ Philanthropy # What Makes a Scholarship Worth Applying For Why I started two scholarships with very different rules, and what I wish more students knew before they apply. By Sue Gilad June 1, 2026 5 min read ![A young theatre student standing alone on a rehearsal stage under a warm gold spotlight.](/notes/post-5-scholarship.jpg) Share [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsuzannegilad.lovable.app%2Fnotes%2Fwhat-makes-a-scholarship-worth-applying-for)[](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What%20Makes%20a%20Scholarship%20Worth%20Applying%20For&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsuzannegilad.lovable.app%2Fnotes%2Fwhat-makes-a-scholarship-worth-applying-for) I started the Suzanne Gilad Grant and the Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky Theatre Scholarship for two different reasons, and I designed them with two very different sets of rules on purpose. The Suzanne Gilad Grant is open to students in any major, with a 3.0 GPA requirement, because I believe talent and ambition show up in every discipline, not just the arts. The Theatre Scholarship, created with my producing partner Larry Rogowsky, has no essay and no minimum GPA, because we wanted to remove the barriers that often keep passionate theatre students from applying at all. ## Why no essay for the theatre scholarship Essay requirements quietly filter out students who are excellent performers, designers, or technicians but who don't test well in formal writing. Theatre is a discipline built on doing, not writing about doing. We wanted a scholarship that reflected that. ## What I actually look for Across both scholarships, the qualities that stand out have very little to do with polish. I'm looking for: - Genuine specificity. A student who can describe exactly what excites them about their field, rather than general statements about passion or dedication. - Evidence of initiative. Did they start something, fix something, teach themselves something, without being asked? - A clear sense of what comes next. Not a rigid five-year plan, but a real sense of direction. ### How to Strengthen a Scholarship Application 1. 01 Be specific, not impressive A precise story about one rehearsal, one scene, one moment of figuring something out, says more than a list of accomplishments. 2. 02 Show initiative beyond what was required Scholarship readers see hundreds of applications that list what students were assigned to do. The ones that stand out describe what they did on their own. 3. 03 Don't perform passion, demonstrate it Specific examples of time spent, problems solved, or things built are more convincing than enthusiastic language. 4. 04 Follow instructions exactly It sounds basic, but applications that ignore word counts or skip required fields are filtered out immediately, regardless of quality. ## Why I keep doing this every year Arts education and access are causes I care about deeply, not as a gesture but as something I've watched make a real difference in individual lives. Every application I read is a reminder that talent is everywhere; access isn't. These scholarships are a small attempt to close that gap. > Talent is everywhere; access isn't. These scholarships are a small attempt to close that gap. Sue Gilad Frequently asked ## Questions about this piece ### What is the difference between the Suzanne Gilad Grant and the Theatre Scholarship? ### When is the application deadline? ### Can I apply to both scholarships? ### Who reviews the applications? SG Written by Sue Gilad Grammy & five-time Tony Award–winning Broadway producer, author, editor, and arts-education advocate. [More about Sue](/about) · [Contact the office](/contact). Related reading ## More notes from the wings [ ![Open manuscript with red editing marks beside a vintage Broadway playbill and a brass pocket watch.](/notes/post-1-books-broadway.jpg) Author & Editor ### What 1,200 Books Taught Me About Producing Broadway Twenty-five years editing manuscripts and twenty-five years producing Broadway shows aren't two separate careers. They're the same instinct, applied twice. June 15, 2026· 6 min read ](/notes/what-1200-books-taught-me-about-producing-broadway)[ ![Empty Broadway theatre seen from backstage with a single warm gold stage light and red velvet seats.](/notes/post-3-backstage.jpg) Speaking ### Why Every Business Leader Should Spend a Day Backstage What I learned creating YPO Broadway: Behind the Curtain — an executive program that uses theatre as a leadership classroom. June 8, 2026· 5 min read ](/notes/why-every-business-leader-should-spend-a-day-backstage)[ Philanthropy ### Funding Performing Arts Scholarships: A Donor’s Guide Traditional arts funding often prioritizes brick-and-mortar legacy over the immediate needs of the artist. Learn how to structure scholarships that fund people, not buildings. August 20, 2026· 8 min read ](/notes/funding-performing-arts-scholarships-direct-model) [← Back to all notes](/notes) Suzanne Gilad Grammy & five-time Tony Award–winning Broadway producer, author, editor, speaker, and arts-education advocate. Explore - [About](/about) - [Broadway Work](/producer) - [Author & Editor](/author-editor) - [Speaking](/speaking) - [Philanthropy](/philanthropy) - [Notes from the Wings](/notes) - [Theater Glossary](/glossary) - [Contact](/contact) Scholarships - Suzanne Gilad Grant - Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky Theatre Scholarship Get in touch © 2026 Suzanne Gilad. All rights reserved. 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