Award amount: Up to $64,000
The Distinguished Scholarship Invitational is one of the area’s most prominent scholarship
competitions, including three $64,000 Harry Gore Memorial Scholarships — three of the largest annual undergraduate scholarships in Kansas.
DSI will be held on campus on Saturday, Nov. 22. Students must be present to participate. If you have any questions, please contact
the Office of Admissions at 316-978-3085 or email us at dsi@wichita.edu.
To be eligible to compete, you must:
- Be a 2026 high school graduate
- Submit Wichita State application materials by Nov. 1
- Submit scholarship materials by Nov. 10
- Meet one of the following criteria:
- Have a minimum unweighted 3.5 GPA, or
- Have a minimum ACT composite score of 27, or
- Have a minimum SAT composite of 1260, or
- Rank in the top 10 percent of your class at the end of your junior year
Important dates and deadlines for the Gore Scholarship
- Wichita State Application materials deadline: Nov. 1, 2025
- Scholarship materials deadline: Nov. 10, 2025
- Distinguished Scholarship Invitational competition date: Nov. 22, 2025
Apply for the Distinguished Scholarship Invitational
Learn more about the Distinguished Scholarship Invitational (DSI)
Jessica Gore and Gore Scholars Karinton Newton, Chloe Strecker and Karaline Scott
In 1952, Theodore and Ralph Gore established the Harry Gore Memorial Scholarship in
memory of their father, Harry Gore, a Russian immigrant who placed a high priority
on education. This extraordinary scholarship has been awarded annually since 1954
to freshmen entering Wichita State who display outstanding potential for leadership. It has become one of the most prestigious and coveted awards in the United States
and encourages personal growth and involvement in leadership positions.
Through the DSI process, three students will ultimately be awarded with $64,000 to
attend Wichita State University in the fall. Gore Scholars are highly involved in
student activities and are leaders across the Wichita State campus. There is not one
type of person who makes a successful Gore Scholar. Each is unique and able to express
their opinions through activities they pursue on campus.
Visit the Gore Scholars website
Application
In addition to the group activities, you will submit the scholarship competition application.
Take your time on this – it’s the other half of your score in the DSI competition!
Some tips as you think about the application:
- Write your essays in Word and transfer them into the application.
- Have someone proofread your essays several times.
- Brag about yourself! If you’re going to brag, a scholarship application is the place
to do it.
Competition day
If you choose to participate, you can expect to take part in the activities below
on the day of the competition. These activities make up half of your score for the
DSI competition!
Consensus-Building
In this session, your group will be given a scenario and asked to solve the problem.
Observers will be watching how your group interacts with one another. Things to think
about:
- Are you listening to others’ ideas?
- Are you participating in the discussion?
Group Interview
In this session, observers will ask each student in your group a question. The questions
are opinion-based, so there are no right or wrong answers. Things to think about:
- Are you answering the question with confidence and showing your personality?
- Are you answering in a concise manner?
Timeline of events
- November 2025 – Applications are reviewed and scored.
- Nov. 22, 2025 – DSI competition held on campus.
- By week of Dec. 5, 2025 – Students will receive notification about moving forward
as a DSI semifinalist.
- Dec. 13, 2025 – Gore Core: A celebratory event for DSI semifinalists. This is not a mandatory or scored event. It's simply a way to celebrate being a semifinalist
with other students from the competition.
- By Dec. 19, 2025 – Semifinalists will receive notification about moving forward as
a DSI finalist.
- Jan. 22, 2026 – DSI finalists will participate in a final interview with the Gore
Scholar selection committee.
- Jan. 30, 2026 – Announcement of Gore Scholars
Benefits of participating in DSI
Benefits include:
- Scholarships - Three students are awarded the $64,000 Harry Gore Memorial Scholarships.
The finalists and semifinalists receive scholarships that can be stacked with Freshman
Merit Scholarships. All students who participate in DSI are considered for Freshman
Merit Scholarships and additional scholarship dollars that may arise throughout the
year.
- Meeting other students who are considering attending Wichita State in the fall
- Gaining confidence in yourself through public speaking and small group activities
