Scholarship for Academically Talented 7th Graders

 The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is offering students the opportunity to apply for their Young Scholars Program.  As the manager of community outreach for the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University , I want to make sure as many teachers, groups, organizations, individuals, and parents as possible become aware of this opportunity.  The Foundation provides exceptional students with individualized educational guidance and educational services, which could include tutors, summer programs, on-line classes, computers, camps, tuition etc., throughout high school.

The specific criteria for consideration are:

Current 7 grade students

 

Strong academic record (95% or better)

 

Awards/honors, teacher recommendation

 

Financial need (based on household income, other children, care of other family members, college students, extraordinary family medical expenses, etc.)

 

Motivation, Leadership

 

An appreciation for the arts, music, literature, or similar fields

The application is available to be downloaded from their website and must be filled out and sent in by the deadline date of May 5, 2008. The website http://www.jackkentcookefoundation.org can also provide you with more information about the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation as well as the Young Scholars Program.

 Application Guidelines

Eligibility

If you are able to answer "yes" to these four questions, you are eligible to apply to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program:

1. Will you enter 8th grade in fall of 2008?

2. Do you earn grades of all or mostly 'As' in school, with no 'Cs' or below in the past two years in your academic subjects?*

3. Does your family have demonstrated unmet financial need?**

4. Are you planning to attend a high school in the U.S. ?

 *Exception: Students with unique talents or documented learning differences.

 **While there is no formal cut-off, since inception, over 90% of Young Scholars chosen come from families with Adjusted Gross Incomes (AGI) below $60,000. We take into consideration: high cost of living expenses in some areas, extraordinary medical expenses, number of dependents in college, number of dependents, and high cost of supporting children with learning differences.

Selection Criteria

 The Foundation reviews each application individually, with the assistance of a panel of national experts. Young Scholars are chosen based upon the criteria below. While all of these criteria areimportant, the Foundation pays particular attention to the first two.

• Academic ability and high achievement: Strong academic record, academic awards and honors, and a substantive assessment by a teacher providing a confidential letter of recommendation. We consider grades (typically a GPA above 3.65, or mostly 'As'), achievement test scores, commitment to learning, and work ethic.

• Unmet financial need: Limited family income and insufficient funds to cover most or all education-related expenses. The average family income of previous classes of Young Scholars has been $25,000.

• Will to succeed: Determination and perseverance in the face of challenges, and success in other pursuits.

• Leadership and public service: Initiative on behalf of others, such as participation in volunteer, community, and school-related activities.

• Critical-thinking ability: Responses to application questions that demonstrate critical thinking.

• Appreciation for or participation in the arts and humanities: Appreciation of, involvement in, or study of music, art, literature, or similar fields.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, sex, age, physical or mental disabilities, sexual orientation, or national origin. Foundation staff, board members, and their families are not eligible to apply.