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JACK KENT COOKE SCHOLARSHIP

Eligibility:		College seniors or those who have graduated within the last five years who have achieved at least a 3.50 grade-point average. You must not yet have begun graduate school, but you should have been accepted for the following fall at the time of application (in the spring of your senior year). Non-US citizens are eligible.
Duration:		Up to six years, depending on the program of study elected.
Award:		Full satisfaction of need after aid awarded by the graduate program itself, and up to $50,000 per year
Holy Cross procedure:		The College selects two nominees each year from among those expressing interest and filing preliminary applications. Alternates are also named in the event that financial need of nominees is fully satisfied by the program admitting them.
Essay(s):		A series of paragraphs responding to such questions as "What are your long-term career plans?", "What motivates you? How and why?", and "When does a belief or value become a prejudice? Do all prejudices need to be overcome? Provide an example from history, the present day, or your personal life." These questions may change from year to year.
Then what:		Sixty-five awards nationwide were announced in the summer of 2005.

GENERAL INFORMATION

This is an unusually generous fellowship opportunity for students who have already selected and been accepted by their graduate program. It aims to assist students who would otherwise be unable to take advantage of graduate education by fully satisfying their need in all but the most expensive programs of study. Any field is supported, including the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, engineering, business, law and medicine. Winners can attend any accredited university either in the United States or abroad. Support is renewed each year based on satisfactory progress until completion of the degree sought. Selection criteria include the following:

Academic ability and achievement
Unmet financial need
Will to succeed
Leadership and public service
Critical-thinking ability
Appreciation for or participation in the arts and humanities.

An unusual feature of this award is its emphasis on financial need. Nominees must file a thorough statement of their own and their parents' financial situation and include the offer of assistance that the graduate program makes to the student. The stated purpose of this policy is to permit students of high ability to undertake expensive additional training without having a crushing burden of debt on completion of the program. The Graduate Studies Advisor asks candidates for nomination to provide a brief statement of need, but full documentation is sought only as part of the final application process.

All nomination materials are available on the web site www.jackkentcookefoundation.org. Please consult them for further information. The responses to the questions are of key importance and must be prepared thoughtfully and with care. You may find suggestions in the leaflet "Proposal Writing: the Art of Persuasion." You may also consult with the Graduate Studies Advisor in Smith 333.

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