The Flinn Scholarship application will open August 26 and be due October 18. Whether you are a student, a parent, a teacher, or a counselor, you may be wondering if there is anything to do right now to prepare for the application window. Good news: There is.
Candidates for the Flinn Scholarship will find a link to the online application on this website on the morning of Monday, August 26. The application will be comprised of:
- forms that collects biographical data and information about current studies and activities;
- three essay questions;
- two teacher recommendations, submitted separately by your teachers;
- a report and recommendation from your high school’s academic counselor, submitted separately by your counselor;
- a copy of your transcript, sent by your counselor to the Flinn Scholars Program;
- SAT and/or ACT score reports, ordered by you to be sent to the Flinn Scholars Program. (When taking the SAT or ACT, use code 2175 to have scores sent to us automatically.)
After the application window closes October 18, all complete applications will be reviewed, and in December all candidates will be notified about their status. Roughly 70 semifinalists will be asked to visit the Foundation for an interview in early January 2014. After semifinalist interviews, around 40 finalists will be invited to return for a second interview in late February or early March. Approximately 20 Scholar designates will be offered the Scholarship in mid-March.
What you can do now to prepare:
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Take the SAT or ACT.
If you have not already taken one of these tests, you must do so before applying for the Flinn Scholarship. Remember: designate code 2175 to have scores sent to us automatically. If the cost of either of these exams presents a hardship, you should ask your academic counselor whether financial aid is available.
The final ACT test date for 2013 that qualifies for the Flinn Scholarship is September 21, and the registration deadline is August 23. The ACT (without the writing section) costs $36.50. The final SAT test date for 2013 that qualifies for the Flinn Scholarship is October 5th. The registration deadline is September 6, and it costs $51.
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Visit your academic counselor when school starts and request a recommendation.
In advance, think about what your counselor already knows about you: Does he or she know about your high-school performance and your future plans? Are there teachers your counselor could consult to learn more about you? Is there anything you especially want your counselor to address in his or her recommendation? This is information that you will need to share with your counselor when you meet.
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Decide which teachers you will ask to write your teacher recommendations.
In addition to the counselor recommendation, you will need two letters from teachers who know you in an academic setting. Consider which teachers you have enjoyed the most: Maybe you connect wonderfully with your chemistry teacher, or maybe there is an English teacher who thoughtfully responded to your essays, or maybe your history teacher made class discussions come alive for you. But also consider which teachers have elicited the strongest performances from you, and remember that these teachers may not necessarily have been the teachers whose classes you most enjoyed.
The teachers who write for you should be those who can attest to your strengths and your capacities to grow more. It is all right to contact your teachers now, before the application opens, and ask for a recommendation. The more time a teacher has to write the letter, the better.
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Assemble your resume.
The Flinn Scholarship application doesn’t require submission of an actual resume, but recording your activities will help you reflect on your time in high school. What has been your most important activity? Why? In which activities have you exercised leadership? What has your leadership accomplished? Are there patterns in your involvement and passions? Does your breadth show that you are intrigued by everything and want to do as much as you can? Does your narrow focus show what you really find meaningful? What have you learned from these activities?
Thinking now about where you fit into these activities will help you write about them more effectively in the application.
If you have specific questions about the application process for the Flinn Scholarship, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. For more information on the application timeline, please visit our Key Dates page.
We look forward to reading your application this fall!