The Competition

SAT and ACT Scores (10% of total score)

Your highest composite test score will be used and weighted 10% of the overall score.  We allow "superscoring" and will take your best Math and Critical Reading to make your best combined SAT score and we will take your best subscores on the ACT to determine your best composite ACT score. 

Team Challenge (45% of total score)

The team challenge portion of the competition is worth 45% of the overall score and will be conducted Friday afternoon. Participants will be placed in groups of five and take part in a group activity which will allow evaluation of leadership and interpersonal skills.  The group will be given a problem/challenge to discuss and then present their results.  The problem will be situation-based rather than academically-based.  The evaluators will be composed of faculty, staff, and previous Heritage students and will be evaluating each student's ability to think creatively and communicate effectively. Student should dress "professionally" for the interview.

Sample group activity question:  LeTourneau is going to choose a new mascot for the university - determine which mascot should be selected and what that mascot represents to the campus community and competitive sport teams.

The Essay (45% of total score)

The final element of the competition will begin on Saturday morning with a session devoted to an essay competition. Students will meet in the computer lab and may use Microsoft Word to compose their essay or they may chose to write their essay by hand using a Blue Book (provided free by LeTourneau). No outside reference materials can be used. Students will choose one essay from four provided on which to write their essay. The questions are provided by the Schools of Business Administration, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Engineering. There is a time limit of 75 minutes to write the essay.

The essays will be measuring, in order of importance:
1) the strength of support for your position
2) logical organization of ideas
3) fluency of expression/appropriate word choice
4) originality in support of your position

A team of faculty members will independently grade the essays on the student's ability to develop the topic, communicate effectively and think creatively.

Sample essay question |  The complexities of language mirror the complexities of life, and when literal meanings fail us, we rely on the language of metaphor to communicate in symbolic ways what literal language cannot fully express. Metaphors for the character and the qualities of life are numerous and often trite, such as “Life is just a bowl of cherries,” or “Life is like a box of chocolates.” You are making momentous decisions that will greatly impact your life, so you’ve probably given some thought to what you want from life. What would you choose as the single, most representative metaphorical description of life? Explain how this metaphor represents the characteristics and qualities of life as you envision it. How does it embody your life’s purpose(s) and challenges? Why is this metaphor effective for you?

Sample essay question | The creation and popularity of online social networking has changed the way Americans socialize. A recent poll conducted by the National Association of College Employers revealed that more than one in ten employers review or plan to review profiles on social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. In addition, more than 60 percent of employers who review profiles said that the information they gleaned has some influence on their hiring decisions. Employers consider this to be a simple and inexpensive way to peek into the candidate's life and character. What is your response to the use of social networking sites to make employment decisions? Do you think it violates the standards of Equal Opportunity Employment and the Fair Credit Reporting Act?  Should a candidate's personal life be considered when making an employment decision?  Is MySpace becoming everyone's space, including possible employers?

Check back for new sample questions.

Last updated - November 11, 2009