Think Wide Open Scholarship*

*This is the only merit-based scholarship available to students admitted to eligible majors (excluding BFA, MusB, and Visual Arts, BS degree programs)

Overview

The Think Wide Open (TWO) Scholarship recognizes creativity, curiosity, and your connection to Purchase College’s motto - Think Wide Open. 

• Awards range from $1,500-$3,000.
• This award is renewable for up to four years for students who continue to meet institutional scholarship requirements. 
• Scholarship recipients will be selected based on the strength and originality of their submission.

Whether or not you are considered for this scholarship is up to you. Only students who complete a TWO scholarship submission will be reviewed.

Who is Eligible

To qualify for consideration, students must:

• Be admitted first-year students for Fall 2026.
• Be admitted to an eligible major. 
• Submit a TWO essay or creative work. 
• Not yet have a scholarship offer.

The TWO submission is optional but required for scholarship consideration.

How to Apply

You must receive an admission decision before submitting your TWO form.

1. Submit your TWO essay or creative work using the Think Wide Open Scholarship Form.
2. You will need to log in to your Applicant Portal to access the form. 
3. Submit your essay or creative work no later than February 1, 2026
4. Scholarship notifications will be sent by February 15, 2026. 

What to Submit

What Does Think Wide Open Mean to You?

By choosing Purchase, you make a conscious decision to join an intense community with a deep respect for individuality and diversity. It’s an unparalleled environment that honors creative expression, collabortion, and innovation.

How does Think Wide Open relate to academic success? To living authentically, listening and learning, treating others with respect, and making positive contributions to our community both in and outside the classroom? How does it relate to your approach to work, relationships, and how you encounter the world around you?

Be specific, be broad, be metaphorical. We simply hope to learn more about you.

Get Creative!

You can choose a written format—essay, poem, short story—or any other creative medium. Just be sure it’s original and connects to Think Wide Open in some way.

Videos, visual artwork, and previously graded work should include a brief introduction or statement that helps contextualize your submission for the viewer/reader.