Applicant must fall into one of the following categories: a United States high school student in grade nine through twelve attending a public, private, parochial, or home school; a United States student under the age of 20 enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program in any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the United States territories; a United States citizen attending school overseas. An original and creative essay of less than 1,000 words on the political courage of a United States elected official since 1956 is required as part of the application process. The first-place recipient will be invited to accept the award at the Profile in Courage Award Ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.