SELECTING A STUDENT

In September, HOBY mails its Sophomore Selection Packet to every public, private and charter high school in the United States inviting them to select and register students to attend their U.S. State HOBY Leadership Seminar

The 3- and 4-day Leadership Seminars take place between March and June, with each school sending a sophomore representative to attend. Schools are asked to determine their annual representatives and register the students online. 

Schools are allowed to send more than one student if they so chose. For additional students attending, there may be an additional fee. If your school did not receive the packet this year, you may still select and register a student. Read on for details.

group of three girls
group of ambassadors wearing safari hats

CHOOSING YOUR REPRESENTATIVE

To select your school’s representative, HOBY asks that you first promote the program to the entire sophomore class. Leadership ability surpasses race, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status, so all sophomores should be considered in selecting your HOBY representative. You may distribute fliers, put up posters, make announcements to the student body, hold an assembly, and/or encourage all teachers affiliated with the sophomore class to mention the program to their students. Your school’s representatives from previous years are great for leading this effort to promote HOBY and can share their own experiences with the current sophomores.

Encourage all 10th graders to learn more about HOBY by visiting www.hoby.org.

Refer all interested candidates to a specific school counselor who will lead the selection process. Your school may choose to do a face-to-face interview about the student’s desire to represent the school, an essay contest about leadership, or create your own creative idea! If you choose to do an essay, you may provide a topic, such as, “In 75 to 100 words, please describe the most rewarding and challenging aspect of being a leader in your school and community.”

REGISTERING YOUR REPRESENTATIVE

Collect student information needed for registration by having your selected student complete the HOBY Registration Worksheet. Then register your student online by using your HOBY school ID and password. Enter all of the information from the completed worksheet into our secure online registration. Registration fees are non-refundable.

Your school ID and password were sent in your original packet of information but if you need your school’s HOBY ID and password, please contact us with the subject line 
“School ID Request” and include the following information:

  • High School name
  • School’s complete mailing address with city, state, and zip code
  • School contact’s name
  • School contact’s position (i.e. School Counselor, Principal, etc.)
  • School contact’s phone number

Your school ID and password will be sent electronically to your school contact.

Please secure the confidentiality of the school ID and password as only school personnel should register students online.

The fee for students to attend HOBY varies by state. Please contact us for more information. he only other expenses students are responsible for is transportation to and from the seminar and personal spending money for optional photos and souvenirs. The registration fee covers liability insurance coverage, volunteer/staff training, public relations, marketing materials, communications, technology and software for HOBY’s online registration, website development and maintenance and staff support to the volunteers.

If your school is unable to pay the small fee associated with HOBY programs, please consider a Booster/Activity club, the PTA, or other creative options in the community for sponsorship. Finally, parents of the selected student can elect to pay the fee.

Please note that your representative is not officially accepted until the registration fee is received. 

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