Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Upsilon Omega Omega Chapter

Dear Prospective Debutante,

Thank you for your interest in the Emeralds of Excellence Scholarship Program and Debutante Cotillion. Emeralds of Excellence are young ladies who exemplify poise, leadership, and respect within their schools and communities. If you are invited to participate, you will have the opportunity to engage in various workshops and activities that will encourage future success. At the end of the debutante season, we will celebrate with a grand ball for all of your family and friends. We are excited about the fun activities planned and hope that you are too!

Being a debutante requires time, hard work, and dedication, but will reap great rewards – including college scholarships and a variety of program incentives. Therefore, significant contributions are expected from each young lady. Before applying, please consider the following minimum requirements.

A prospective debutante must:

• Classified as a high school junior or senior as of Fall 2025.
• Possess a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (C+) or better on a four-point scale.
• Exhibit high moral and ethical standards.
• Pay a $550 program fee by Sunday, August 31, 2025.
• Raise a minimum of $1,500 through individual fundraising efforts throughout the course of the program. These include, but are not limited to, recruiting sponsors for the souvenir booklet.
• Attend monthly program events, workshops, and cotillion rehearsals.
• Select a reliable young male escort (ages 16-19) and an adult male escort (father or father-figure) for the final cotillion.

If able to meet these minimum requirements, applicants are asked to do the following:

1. Complete the 2025-2026 Emeralds of Excellence Application Packet:
   • A typed essay in a tweet format (280 characters or less) responding to the following prompt:
     • How do you think social media is helpful/harmful to teens?
   • A typed essay (500 words maximum essay) responding to the following prompt:
     
     • What are your academic and/or professional goals
   • Headshot
   • Official School Transcript - Can be attached or mailed to the address listed below. 
   • Two Recommendation Forms - (NOTE: Qualified recommenders include teachers, community leaders, employers, and mentors. Relatives and members of the Emeralds of Excellence Scholarship Committee are not acceptable.) Recommendation forms are due by Sunday, June 8, 2025.
   • Incomplete packets will not be reviewed.
2. Applications must be submitted by Sunday, June 15, 2025. Late packets will not be reviewed.
3. Once applicants have submitted a complete packet, applicants will participate in a virtual interview.
4. Letters of acceptance will be emailed to applicants on Sunday, July 13, 2025.
5. If accepted, send the program fee ($550) by check or money order made payable to Upsilon Omega Omega Chapter (Memo: Emeralds of Excellence) to the address below by Sunday, August 31, 2025. Program fees are non-refundable.

Send all program materials and fees to:

Emeralds of Excellence Scholarship Committee

Post Office Box 2012

Irmo, SC 29063

 

Young ladies that accept our invitation to participate will be required to attend an orientation meeting in August. Meeting details and dates will be included in the program acceptance notification. If you or your parents have any questions, please contact us at emeraldsofexcellence@akairmo.org or our program chairperson, Sharon Aldrich, at 803-319-2123.

We are honored that you’ve considered becoming a debutante and look forward to reviewing your application!

Please select one option

Please attach a list of your current (2023 to present) extracurriculars, volunteer, offices held, and work activities in order of importance to you. All school and program acronyms and abbreviations should be spelled completely to ensure information is transferred accurately.

These personal essays will help us to become acquainted with you as a person and a student. It will also demonstrate your ability to organize and express your thoughts.

Please type in an essay in a tweet format (280 characters or less) answering the following question. 

• How do you think social media is helpful/harmful to teens?

Please type an essay (500 words maximum) answering the following question. Essays should be typed (12-point Times New Roman), double-spaced, and submitted with your application.

• What are your academic and/or professional goals?

I have provided truthful and complete information in this application and understand the requirements of this program.

If selected, I give my daughter permission to participate in the 2025-2026 Emeralds of Excellence Scholarship Program and Debutante Cotillion.  I understand that participation is voluntary, and my child may refuse to participate at any time.
 

I understand that it will be my financial responsibility to provide the fees necessary to cover the cost of my daughters' participation and meet all deadlines in order to meet proper inclusion in all debutante materials.  This includes the non-fundable $550 participation fee and the $1500 minimum fundraising commitment in order for my daughter to be presented.

Based on your experiences with the applicant, please check the box below that best represents the applicant’s ability or character.

Applications are now closed