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The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholarship Program will award approximately 35 scholarships to seniors and recent graduates planning to attend graduate school for the first time starting in fall 2010. Grinnell may nominate two seniors or recent graduates for this scholarship.
Each award covers a portion of educational expenses, including tuition, living expenses, required fees, and books for the graduate degree chosen. The amount and duration of awards vary by student based on the cost of attendance and the length of the graduate program as well as other scholarships or grants received. The maximum available per student per year of study is $50,000 and the maximum length is six years.
Two Grinnellians have won this schoalrship: Eric Otoo '01 (2004-05) used the award to obtain his MBA at Harvard and is currently employed at Goldman-Sachs; and Andriana Nikolvoa '07 (2006-07), who is currently an MD student at Harvard.
In order to apply for one of Grinnell's two nominations for the Cooke Scholarship, you must meet the following selection criteria, as established by the foundation:
- Senior standing or have graduated from an accredited four-year US college or university within the past five years.
- A cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of 3.50 or better on a scale of 4.0 (or the equivalent).
- Demonstrated unmet financial need.
- A bachelor’s degree by the start of the fall 2010 semester.
- Not previously been nominated for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholarship.
- Plans to begin their first graduate degree program at an accredited college or university in the fall of 2010.
While the Foundation considers academic excellence first in evaluating candidates, competitive applicants must also demonstrate unmet financial need, which has two components:
- Education costs that are appreciably greater than the total amount of other scholarships or grant awards.
- Insufficient student and family income to meet educational costs.
All scholarship nominees must plan to begin their first graduate degree program on a full-time basis at an accredited university in the fall of 2010. Recipients are chosen from a national pool, with approximately 1,000 nominees competing each year for approximately 35 awards.
Please note that international students ARE eligible to apply for this scholarship. In fact, Grinnell's two winners of this award to date were both international students.
The Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship is awarded on the basis of the following selection critera:
- Academic ability and high achievement and intelligence: Strong academic record, academic awards and honors, and a substantive assessment by a teacher providing a confidential letter of recommendation. The Foundation considers grades (typically a GPA above 3.5 or mostly 'As'), achievement test scores, commitment to learning, and work ethic. Exceptions for GPA may be considered for applicants with unique talents or learning differences.
- Unmet financial need: Limited family income and insufficient funds to cover most or all educational-related expenses. The average family income of previous classes of Young Scholars has been approximately $25,000. While there is no formal cut-off, since inception, over 90% of selected Young Scholars have come from families with Adjusted Gross Incomes (AGI) below $60,000. Our evaluation of available family financial support considers family income and factors such as number of siblings, extraordinary family medical expenses, number of siblings already in college, and the high cost of living in some areas.
- Will to succeed: Determination and perseverance in the face of challenges, and success in non-academic pursuits.
- Leadership and public service: Initiative on behalf of others, such as participation in volunteer, community, and school-related activities.
- Critical-thinking ability.
- Appreciation for or participation in the arts and humanities, or study of music, art, literature, or similar fields.
Please note that the first two selection critera are bolded because they are, by far, the greatest determinants of success in this competition.
To be considered for Grinnell's two nominations for this scholarship, please submit ONE COPY of the following materials to the Office of Service and Social Commitment, 1233 Park St., by 5:00pm on Monday, February 15, 2010:
- A completed Scholarship Nomination Permission Form and Waiver
- A printed-off copy of the Jack Kent Cooke Application form, which can be accessed online through the foundation's website.
- Two letters of recommendation (hard copies sent directly to the Office of Service and Social Commitment)
- Official Transcripts from all institutions attended (if these grades are shown on Grinnell's official transcript, you do not need to request official trasncripts from other institutions)
- Financial information about the applicant AND their family, as required by the JKC Foundation. This includes copies of tax forms from both the applicant and their parents, and the Parent Financial Information Forms, available on the JKC website.
For the on-campus nomination process, please ensure that all application materials comply with these submission guidelines.
Potential applicants should carefully read all parts of the Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship website for more information about the scholarship and the application process.
All applicants are expected to adhere to these ethical guidelines.
Doug Cutchins
Director of Social Commitment
cutchins@grinnell.edu
(641) 269-4408
1233 Park St.
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA 50112
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