2026 Announcements

A message from our Executive Secretary, Dr. Terry Babcock Lumish, to all registered Advisors.

Dear colleague,

Welcome to the 2026 Truman Scholarship competition! You may now register applicants from your dashboard page, with all applications due no later than Tuesday, February 3, 2026.

We continue to look for promising Americans from every state, plus DC and the US territories, making commitments to careers in public service, broadly defined. 

Consistent with our recent years’ messaging and annual cohorts, there is no one-size-fits-all Truman Scholar. We see stellar applicants working in traditional political and policy roles – the campaign volunteer, the campus reformer, the military or nonprofit leader, the community activist – but we also welcome applicants pursuing meaningful change via science, technology, the arts, and other innovative avenues.

In addition to planning a career in public service, candidates should be college juniors, US citizens, and have a demonstrated record of leadership and service.

We will kick off the 2026 application cycle with an Open House on Wednesday, October 8 at @ 2:00 pm ET.  This session will include a number of recent Scholars discussing their application experiences as well as an overview of our program and selection criteria.  The Open House is suitable for potential and current nominees as well as advisors.  It would also be a good introduction for institutions just starting their Truman process.  Feel free to distribute the Zoom link broadly:  

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82794740954?pwd=zXJmLzlJPBZ6tuFISG7zmaQfyYgozQ.1

We will also have the following regular webinars:

• advisors only on Wednesday, October 22 @ 2:00 pm ET;
• candidates (advisors welcome) on Wednesday, November 12 @2:00 pm ET;
• candidates (advisors welcome) on Wednesday, December 3 @ 2:00 pm ET; and
• office hours (open to all) on Thursday, January 21 @ 2:00 pm ET.

Information about the webinars will be available on your dashboard page. We will also post recordings there the day after a webinar takes place. The “Apply” section of the Truman website offers a great deal of information, including sample responses and an FAQ.

Should you have questions about our program, the online application, or the likely competitiveness of individual candidates, you are welcome to contact Deputy Executive Secretary Tara Yglesias.

Thank you for identifying and supporting our nation's future leaders. We appreciate you.

Yours in service,

Dr. Terry Babcock-Lumish (she/her)

Executive Secretary

Summer Institute:

Early in the application candidates are asked whether they plan to participate in the 2027 Summer Institute program. While this question does not require an in-depth response, these few sentences are the first opportunity to communicate directly with the readers. Applicants should take care to respond fully and with specifics. It does not matter whether the applicant plans to attend Summer Institute, but it does matter that they are able to articulate their plans for the summer after graduation. Applicants planning to attend Summer Institute should select one or two public service internship opportunities and explain how they plan to take advantage of those experiences. They are not confined to the list of internships in the Meet Our Scholars section of the website. Applicants not planning to attend should explain why and, ideally, connect that activity to their overall public service journey.

Limited Leadership & Service Opportunities:

Applicants who feel they have had limited leadership & service opportunities due to situations outside their control (e.g. health conditions, family obligations, food or housing insecurity) may include that information in their application if they believe it might be helpful to assessing their candidacy. Applicants can provide additional information - either in the supporting letters or their materials - to ensure we adequately understand their circumstances.  
 
Applicants should work directly with Advisors and letter writers to ensure these variations are adequately covered in their materials. Straightforward pieces of information (e.g. the applicant has family obligations that make volunteer work difficult) can best be conveyed in the nominating letter - thus allowing the applicant the ability to discuss other items in their application if they wish.  

Leaves of Absence:

Students who have elected to take a leave of absence may still be nominated so long as the institution is willing to do so.  Please determine if the leave of absence will result in a change to the student's graduation date and adjust the timing of the application accordingly.  Students who are graduating in three (or fewer) years would apply in their final year.

Use of AI Technologies:

The Foundation does not forbid the use of AI technologies during the application process. These tools can be very helpful to clarify or condense writing. However, candidates should take care not to rely on AI technologies so much that their own voice is lost. Please observe the following guidelines:

• Do not use AI to produce first drafts. In addition to hallucination, there is research that indicates using AI on initial drafts results in a cognitive offload which can impede the author’s ability to think critically about their writing.
• Verify anything produced by AI. Any misrepresentations or hallucinations created by AI will be attributed to the candidate. Be especially mindful of citations.
• Just as candidates might filter suggestions from advisors or colleagues, so too should they filter suggestions from AI. LLMs produce acceptable writing – not exceptional writing and they are no more reliable than any other source. Candidates must evaluate all suggestions to ensure accuracy and authenticity.
• Be very cautious of using ChatBots for interview preparation. While they can be helpful to point out weaknesses in arguments or streamline thinking, ChatBots are not particularly skilled at speaking authentically.

Our reviewers are more interested in seeing sincere candidates with flaws rather than the overly polished product that is often the result of using AI technologies.