About the Program
First awarded in 2008, the Gamers in Real Live (GIRL) scholarship was created by Sony Online Entertainment LLC to encourage students toward career paths in the creative and applied arts, with the ultimate goal of developing video games that are more interesting for women to play.
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets.
The program is administered by Scholarship Management Services, a division of Scholarship America. Scholarship Management Services is the nation's largest designer and manager of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals. Awards are granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin.
HOW DO I APPLY TO THE COMPETITION?
STEP 1: Review the Gamers in Real Life (GIRL) Game Design Competition 2011 Official Rules.
STEP 2: Determine if you are eligible to enter the competition and win.
Applicants to the Gamers in Real Life Game Design Competition Scholarship Program must meet all of the following eligibility requirements* and must comply with the Official Rules of the competition:
- Currently enrolled in an undergraduate program related to video games, including programs related to video game art, design, animation, production, programming, or visual effects;
- Have a 3.00 or higher grade point average (GPA) on a 4.00 scale;
- Continue to be enrolled during the entire 2011-12 academic year, not graduating before the end of the 2012 spring term;
- Be a legal resident of one of the fifty United States (including the District of Columbia) for the duration of the competition and
- Be eighteen (18) years or older at the time of application
*Employees, officers, directors, or agents of SOE, Scholarship America, or any of each company’s respective parent company, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion and fulfillment agencies, their immediate family members and persons living in their same household are not eligible.
STEP 3:Submit the e-application to Scholarship Management Services.
Begin by clicking on Register to Apply at the bottom of this page. You will need to read and agree to an applicant consent statement and register with a username and password. During the e-application process, you will be able to leave the site by clicking on the Save and Log Out link located on every e-application page. To return, log in with your username and password. The e-application must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (PST) April 6, 2011. Only the first 3,000 e-applications will be considered.
Carefully review your e-application data before you submit it. We recommend that you print a hard copy of your completed e-application data (available as a link from the Review page of the form) for your records. Do not send a printed copy to Scholarship Management Services or Sony Online Entertainment. Entries by mail and entries sent directly to SOE will not be accepted. Standard capitalization (Jill Smith, not jill smith or JILL SMITH) must be used when entering data. Once the e-application is submitted, no revisions can be made.
The applicant is responsible for gathering and submitting all required information. Applications are evaluated on the information supplied, so answer all questions as completely as possible. Your application is considered confidential and is reviewed by Scholarship Management Services only. Finalist applications will be also be reviewed by SOE.
Applicants will receive an email confirmation when the e-application is successfully submitted. Late submissions and incomplete applications will not be considered.
STEP 4: Submit concept artwork, captions and an essay to SOE.
Concept art, captions, and the essay are all due to SOE at gamers-in-real-life@soe.sony.com no later than April 6, 2011. See Official Rules for details.
Concept Art
Submit two (2) pieces of original concept art inspired by either Free Realms™ or EverQuest® II. Each piece of concept art must not exceed 1280 x 960 pixels saved as a high quality .jpeg, and the pieces together should collectively communicate the theme and style of the game that you selected. Therefore, once you choose between Free Realms and EverQuest II, please base both art pieces on your chosen game. One (1) piece must depict your own original Free Realms or EverQuest II game environment. Your color concept should communicate in a single image what it might be like to adventure in this environment. One (1) piece must depict your own original Free Realms or EverQuest II character. The concept should be in color. The character you create should relate to your game environment concept and should be depicted in an interesting pose.
Captions
A short caption (no longer than one paragraph in length) describing each piece of concept art you chose to create. Describe each piece in as much detail as possible. Send each caption attached as a separate Word document.
Essay
A five hundred (500) word essay about women in the gaming industry that answers these two (2) questions: How can you change and improve the image of women in games? How do you think such changes will help create games that more women will want to play? Please attach as a separate Word document.
Name and Application ID
In the body of your email and on all attachments, include your first and last name and your Application ID number. Your Application ID number can be found on emails sent to you confirming your e-application registration and submission, on the e-application pages, or on your printout of your e-application data.
Please note: The e-application must be submitted to Scholarship Management Services through the online application process. The concept art, captions, and essay must be submitted by email to SOE at gamers-in-real-life@soe.sony.com
HOW WILL THE WINNER BE SELECTED?
A panel of judges at SOE will evaluate the submissions based on a 1-50 point scale and as set forth in the Official Rules and will submit a list of no more than one hundred (100) applicants to Scholarship Management Services from which Scholarship Management Services will disqualify applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria as set forth in the Official Rules. Scholarship Management Services will review academic data provided in the online application and will request transcripts from approximately forty (40) eligible applicants who will be considered Semifinalists. These transcripts must be submitted to Scholarship Management Services postmarked no later than April 29, 2011.
From the list of Semifinalists who submit transcripts to Scholarship Management Services by the transcript postmark deadline date, Scholarship Management Services will select up to fifteen (15) Finalists based on the following criteria, weighted evenly:
- Academic record
- Demonstrated leadership and participation in community activities along with work experience, if any.
Scholarship Management Services will submit the names of the Finalists to SOE and will send notification to the Finalists on or about May 6, 2011. Submissions from each Finalist will be judged by a panel of industry professionals employed by SOE. One (1) winner will be chosen by SOE's panel of judges and will be announced on or about May 16, 2011.
WHAT COULD I WIN?
One winner will be selected to receive:
- A $10,000 scholarship award to be applied toward tuition, room and board and other education-related expenses at the postsecondary school at which the winner is enrolled; and
- An internship of up to ten (10) weeks at SOE's headquarters in San Diego, California or at one of SOE's studio locations (located in Austin, Seattle, or Denver.) Location of internship to be decided by SOE.
HOW WILL THE AWARD BE PAID?
Scholarship America will process scholarship payment on behalf of SOE. Payment will be made in one installment on August 15. The check is mailed to the recipient's home address and is made payable to the school of the student.
WHAT ARE MY OBLIGATIONS?
All Semifinalists and Finalists are required to notify Scholarship Management Services of any changes in address, school enrollment, or other relevant information and to send a complete transcript when requested.
SOE reserves the right to interpret and review the conditions and procedures of this scholarship program and to make changes at any time including termination of the program. In case of a conflict between information contained in the Official Rules and this website, the terms of the Official Rules shall apply.
WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS?
Contact us:
Email: gamersinreallife@scholarshipamerica.org
Call: 507-931-1682 and ask for the Gamers in Real Life Game Design Competition Scholarship Program
GIRL Game Design Competition Scholarship ProgramScholarship Management ServicesOne Scholarship WaySaint Peter, MN 56082
