The application process in Trinidad & Tobago

The selection process in Trinidad & Tobago is an open, scrupulously fair and transparent procedure. Initial application is via the application form only. The application deadline for studies at the Colleges in 2010-2012 is 18 April 2010. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.

Application

Fully completed application forms are received by April 2010. They need to include:

References
Three (3) copies of the application form
Two (2) passport photos of yourself (one attached to one of your application forms and a second photograph loose with your name on the back)
Non-refundable application fee of TT$100 (by personal cheque made out to: "UWC (Trinidad & Tobago) Trust" or cash; Postal Order are not accepted because the process clearing the money is too lengthy and difficult).

We would strongly advise you to set up an e-mail account and note the address on your application form. Whilst the committee will communicate decisions via post, it is also useful for us to have an email address to contact you at.

Shortlisting

All applications are reviewed before the interviews. The Selection Committee will select a number on the basis of the written applications received. Successful candidates are; academically able, committed to community service and aware of international issues.

Preliminary Selection

The preliminary selection consists of a mixture of individual interviews and group activities in Trinidad & Tobago. Examples of group activities undertaken by Selection Committee include discussions (current affairs, ethics etc.), tasks to be completed as a group (eg. organising a performance or a community service activity), expeditions and outings. The preliminary selection may therefore require applicants to spend a day or more at a chosen location.

Final Selection

A selected number of applicants are then invited to a final round of individual interviews with the Selection Committee. These interviews are an opportunity to explore further those impressions and insights gained from the earlier stages of the process.

Nomination

Following the final selection the Selection Committee meets and produces a final list of applicants in order of merit. The applicants will be nominated according to that order.

Nominations will be submitted to reach the Colleges no later than 1 May. Nominations will include at the applicant’s application form or a report from the Selection Committee on the applicant. The Colleges will confirm or deny acceptance of the applicant directly to the nominating National Committee.

The deadline for nominations for Short Courses will vary according to the timing of the Course and other factors, but generally fall no later than 15 May. Nominations should include a copy of the Short Course Registration Form for each student.

Confirmation

The Selection Committee will inform the applicants of the final outcome of the selection on an individual basis only after confirmation has been received from the Colleges. The Colleges will subsequently contact the student directly and send all materials and information necessary to make arrangements for joining the College.

In the case of UWC Short Courses, acceptance confirmation and further information will be sent from the UWC International Office.

While both the National Committee of Trinidad & Tobago and the UWC Colleges would ideally wish to be in a position to offer all selected students a full scholarship, financial constraints mean that parental contributions - sometimes substantial - may be required.

If you have any questions that are not answered here, please do not hesitate to get in contact with the National Committee ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or tel 684 8803).

Further details on all the colleges, general information and the history of UWC and the international movement can be found by visiting http://www.uwc.org/

Please be sure to visit this page from time-to-time for updates and announcements (the first announcement will be the date of the application deadline - not later than the 3rd week in April 2010).

You can download the following documents related to the application process:

IB Application Form

Deadline for receiving completed applications together with requested information for the next selection round will be in April 2010 (application forms need to be submitted to the National Committee of Trinidad & Tobago - see contact us information for address).

Fundamental Principles of UWC Selection Policy

Selection is on merit alone without regard to other factors.
Offers are made to applicants exclusively according to the order of merit in which the Selection Committee has placed them.

Age of the Applicant

Applicants applying to the IB colleges should not be older than 17 on July 1st, of the year when they enter the College. In special cases and with the permission of the relevant Colleges (eg. in the case of refugees), applicants may be slightly older. Students attending Simón Bolívar UWC are older (usually 18 or 19 when they enter the College).

Citizenship and Residency

Students applying for scholarships allocated for Trinidad & Tobago do not have to be Trinidadian citizens but, at the time of application, they must have been residents of Trinidad and Tobago for no less than three (3) years.

Applications from Relatives

Applications from relatives of members of the UWC (Trinidad & Tobago) Trust are accepted, but not from officers of the National Committee. The relative concerned must step down from their post until the full selection process is complete. The Committee Member may be reinstated only when the full selection process has been completed.

Repeat Applications

The Selection Committee will accept applications from students in two consecutive years if the age requirements allows them to do so.

Availability

Applicants are expected to be available at all relevant stages of the selection process.

Application Fee

Applications need to be submitted with a non-refundable TT$100 application fee.

Applying though other National Committees

If you are not elegible to apply through our National Committee, then it may be possible for you to apply to attend a UWC through an alternative selection committee. If you have lived abroad for many years and are thus ineligible for selection through this Committee, you should check with the UWC International Office ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and they can advise you about alternative Committees.

Minimal Eligibility requirement at a glance

For all applicants:

Citizens or Permanent Residents of Trinidad and Tobago for no less than 3 years.
Currently studying for CXC (O-Level)
not older than 17 years on July 1st, in the year they are applying.

Please contact us if you have questions.

We are looking for…

We are looking for young people with an open mind, curiosity about the world, with a developed sense of the issues surrounding a global citizen, capable of not only tolerating difference, but also appreciating its importance and richness.

We are looking for young people to represent our country in a dignified and integral way, who are ambassadors of our identity and all that it means to be a Trinidadian and Tobagonian.

We are looking for young people who are active and critical in their environment with a high degree of analysis, conscience, sensitivity, and commitment.

We are looking for young people with talent inside and outside the classroom, capable of integrating and transmitting knowledge and skills so as to turn themselves into living tools for peace, justice, international understanding, and cooperation.