Two documented examples are Unigo’s Flavor of the Month and Make Me Laugh scholarships. Both accept short written responses, and neither is a guaranteed payment for completing an application. Their official rules specify eligibility, judging and school-payment conditions. They are separate contests from the same sponsor—not a representative survey of every summer scholarship available.
Summer-deadline awards verified for this guide
The dates below are the cycle dates explicitly published in each provider’s official rules, checked October 18, 2026. Application forms were not submitted or tested through an account.
| Program and official link | Amount | Published deadline | Main eligibility in official rules | Application task |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flavor of the Month Scholarship — Unigo | One $1,500 scholarship prize, subject to rules and selection | July 31, 2027, 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time | Legal residents of the 50 U.S. states or D.C.; age 14+ at application; enrolled or enrolling by fall 2032 at an accredited postsecondary institution | An original, previously unpublished English response of no more than 250 words connecting an ice cream flavor to your personality |
| Make Me Laugh Scholarship — Unigo | One $1,500 scholarship prize, subject to rules and selection | August 31, 2027, 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time | Same broad age, legal-residence and enrollment requirements in this contest’s rules | An original, previously unpublished English response of no more than 250 words describing a funny or embarrassing incident, fact or fiction |
The rules also exclude employees and certain relatives or household members connected to the sponsor and related companies; other restrictions apply. Read each contest’s full rules rather than assuming that meeting the age requirement is enough.
These are general postsecondary scholarship contests, not scholarships reserved for a particular major, sport, low-income group or summer-school enrollment. Neither a themed prompt nor a summer closing date creates an additional eligibility preference.
Flavor of the Month: make the comparison personal
The Flavor of the Month prompt and rules ask which ice cream flavor you would be and why. The official entry window runs from July 31, 2026 through July 31, 2027. The award is not limited to students studying food science or working at an ice cream shop.
The practical challenge is explaining a personality trait through a concrete detail instead of listing adjectives. A planning approach might be:
- Pick one flavor or combination you can explain naturally.
- Identify a specific contrast or quality it represents.
- Connect that quality to one brief action or experience from your own life.
- Cut any sentence that does not help the reader understand the comparison.
For a hypothetical outline, a student might connect an unexpected flavor combination to enjoying both precise laboratory work and improvised theater. That is a brainstorming example, not an award-winning response or text to submit. The applicant must create their own original work.
Make Me Laugh: structure a short story, not a résumé
The Make Me Laugh prompt permits a funny or embarrassing incident that is fact or fiction. The published entry window runs from August 31, 2026 through August 31, 2027.
A compact story needs a setup, an expectation and a turn. In a 250-word response, a paragraph explaining every detail of your school or family can crowd out the incident itself. Draft the sequence first, then keep only details that make the turn understandable. Avoid private information about someone else, and check that the result remains suitable under the provider’s restrictions on objectionable material.
The official judging criteria for both contests assign 25% each to writing ability, creativity, originality and overall excellence. “Short essay” describes the required length; it does not mean random selection or a high probability of winning.
Why Do-Over is not yet in the recommended table
The Do-Over Scholarship page advertises a June 30, 2027 deadline and a $1,500 award. However, its introductory summary says an applicant must enroll no later than fall 2026, while its official-rules block says fall 2032.
Those statements give materially different answers to a younger student’s eligibility question. This guide does not choose one on the provider’s behalf. Do not treat Do-Over as a confirmed fit until the sponsor explains which enrollment date governs your situation. Its listed amount and deadline do not resolve that conflict.
A concise question to send through the provider’s contact route is:
Your Do-Over page lists fall 2026 in the enrollment summary and fall 2032 in the official rules for the June 30, 2027 contest. Which enrollment cutoff applies to an applicant who will begin college after fall 2026? Please confirm the governing rules for this cycle.
Save the response with your application notes. Do not pay a third-party service to “confirm” eligibility when the unresolved question belongs to the sponsor.
Build a summer application calendar that includes the fine print
Start with the two confirmed deadlines and work backward. A useful personal plan—not an official requirement—is to finish the first draft a week before the closing date, review the rules and eligibility again, then submit with time left for technical problems.
Before clicking submit, check these contest-specific points:
- Count the words. Both responses have a 250-word maximum and must be written in English.
- Submit the final version. The rules allow one application per person per contest and say corrected pages or replacement drafts will not be accepted after submission.
- Read the ownership terms. Both rules state that the sponsor owns the application and written response, including publishing rights. Do not submit an essay you need to retain exclusively for another purpose without understanding those terms.
- Review privacy and publicity provisions. The rules describe sponsor communications and publicity rights. A short application can still involve meaningful data and rights decisions.
- Monitor the email you use. Potential recipients must complete required further documentation within ten days of notification; the rules include provisions for minors and parent or guardian documentation.
- Save a copy and confirmation. Keep your submitted text and the applicable rules. Do not interpret a saved draft as a completed entry.
A summer deadline is not a summer payout
Both contests describe a check payable to the accredited postsecondary institution after the selected recipient enrolls and provides proof. They do not promise an unrestricted cash equivalent. The rules specify selection processes in the fall following the summer deadline, not immediate payment when the form is submitted.
The enrollment-proof wording refers to 2032 without a more precise day in the reviewed rules. Ask the provider about the exact proof deadline if you will defer enrollment. Neither contest’s reviewed rules promises automatic annual renewal. An award can be offered each year without being renewable for the same recipient.
For a student who needs to pay a June summer-session bill, these contests may therefore be the wrong timing tool. Ask the summer program’s own financial-aid office about its program-specific funding, bill deadline and whether an outside award can be applied to that session. This guide does not claim to have verified such program-specific awards.
Frequently asked questions
Can a high school student apply? The two compared rules allow applicants age 14 or older and enrollment by fall 2032, subject to all other conditions. Check age at the time of application, not the age you will reach next school year.
Are these no-essay scholarships? No. Each requires an original written response of up to 250 words. A short response is still an essay requirement.
Does applying to one contest enter me into the other? Treat each as its own application with its own prompt and rules. One account or one sponsor is not proof of entry in every contest.
Can international students apply? The two reviewed contests require legal U.S. residence in one of the 50 states or D.C. Do not infer worldwide eligibility from the fact that an application page is publicly accessible.
What is the best next step? Compare your age, residence and planned enrollment against the official rules, then decide whether the writing task and ownership terms are acceptable before preparing an entry. Keep a separate shortlist for aid specifically intended to fund a summer program.
