Travelers EDGE: How To Ace The Application And Interview

If you are a high school student, do not use your school email. You won’t have access to this email after graduation. Please use a personal email that you check regularly.

• If you are a dependent, upload the first two pages of your parent/guardian’s federal tax return 1040.
• If you are independent, upload the first two pages of your federal tax return 1040.

• A recommender can be a counselor, advisor, teacher, mentor, supervisor or community leader. They cannot be a peer or related to you.
• Please get permission from your recommender before putting their email in your application. 
• Recommender will receive an email to create an account with Scholarship America to access the recommender form.
• Recommender form needs to be completed by 1/18/2024 3:00pm CST.

• High school students can get this from their counselors
• College students can access this through their college account (IE. e-services, or student records)

• As a high school senior, you have the option to select a “Second Choice College” that you are interested in attending for the 2024-2025 academic year.
  • I highly recommend that students consider their second choice college as a serious option to be a part of the Travelers EDGE program. Certain colleges/universities will be more competitive to get into the Travelers EDGE program. 
  • If you are set on attending only one college/university, you may select the same school as your “Second Choice College.”
• Current college first year students will not get the “Second Choice College” option.

• Do your research on Travelers Insurance. It will be expected that you know something about the company. You can look on Traveler’s website, LinkedIn, Glassdoor or other relevant websites. Below are some questions you should know about the company.
  • What is Travelers’ mission, vision and values?
  • Where is Travelers operated out of? Is there a headquarter, multiple locations etc?
  • What does Travelers do?
  • Who are their customers?
  • What makes Travelers unique?
  • Are there recent news stories or changes that have occurred regarding Travelers? 
• Familiarize yourself with the Travelers EDGE program. What are the six components of the program? (Found under “Benefits to the Scholar”)

• Why are you interested in the Travelers EDGE program?
• How does Travelers EDGE align with your education and career goals? 
• Which of the different components of the program interest you the most and why? (See “Benefits to the Scholar”)

• It may feel uncomfortable, but practicing your answers in front of another person, such as a friend or someone in the Strommen Center, can help you figure out how to phrase your answers. You can also practice in front of a mirror or by recording yourself and listening to your answers as well
• Use the STAR technique to answer behavioral questions. Here are some examples of behavioral questions:
  • Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a challenge.
  • Tell me about a time when you demonstrated leadership.
  • When was the last time you came up with a creative solution to a problem?
  • What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?
  • Tell me about a time when you made a mistake and how you handled it. 
• Practice answering the questions above using the STAR method.
  • S – situation that you were in
  • T – task that you were presented with
  • A – action you took to accomplish the task
  • R – results that occurred

Write down questions to ask. The interview panel will consist of Travelers EDGE Program Manager, Travelers employees and University/College Program Managers. Having follow-up questions of your own makes a good impression and allows you to learn more about the program.