IGDA Announces GDC Scholarship Program

The IGDA has announced this year's Student Scholarship Program for the 2008 Game Developers Conference, through which twenty-five college students will be awarded complimentary passes to the 2008 GDC, to be held February 18-22 in San Francisco. To qualify, applicants must be full-time university students age 18 or older, and must be IGDA Student Members in good standing. Past scholarship recipients are not eligible. A panel of professional game developers will judge the entrants. The applications will be judged on five criteria: Firstly, relevance -- will attending GDC help the student achieve his or her specific educational and/or career goals? Second, the student will be judged on initiative, and whether he or she has demonstrated continued dedication to game development and effort to educate themselves. Special circumstances will also be considered, along with any unusual challenges or obstacles that the student has overcome. Communication -- whether the ideas expressed in the essays are commnuicated effectively and efficiently -- is another criterion, and lastly, judges will consider the student's "tilt factor", or whether the student's personality would add something to the event. The scholarship includes the Main Conference pass, with access to all sessions, roundtables and keynotes. Breakfast and lunch are also included. Additionally, the scholarship winners will each be paired with an industry mentor, and will participate in a local studio and orientation session on February 19th. The IGDA will announce the scholarship recipients before January 16th, 2008, the early rate pricing deadline. The application, and further details on the scholarship program, can be found at the IGDA's official website.