2014 Scholarship Season

Background• The Carson Scholars Fund was founded in 1994 by world-

renowned pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson and his wife, Candy.

• The Carson Scholars Fund seeks to recognize and reward academic and humanitarian excellence.

Numbers

• To date, the Carson Scholars Fund has awarded 5,700 scholarships.

• Carson Scholars have been named in all 50 states and Washington, DC.

• Carson Scholar alumni attend (or have attended) over 450 different colleges and universities.

• More than $3 million has been paid out in scholarship awards.

• Application Deadline• January 10, 2014: Deadline for all applications.• The online application must be completed by 5:00 p.m.

Eastern Standard Time.• Hard copy applications must be postmarked by this

date.• Mailed report cards must be postmarked by this date.

• Principal Verification• January 17, 2014: Deadline to complete the principal

verification.

Check the events calendar at www.carsonscholars.org frequently for updates!

Important Dates and Deadlines

For more information…• http://carsonscholars.org/scholarships/prospective_scholars• Check this site for additional information and answers to common

questions.

Application Process1. Prescreen; Create a Username and Password2. General Information3. Biographical Information4. Report Card5. Community Service6. Teacher Recommendation7. Essay8. Picture9. Signatures10. Principal Verification11. What’s next?

Prescreen

• The link in the email you receive will take you to our “prescreen”. You

will only have to answer these questions once.

Create a Username and Password

• Use your email as your username and create a password that is easy to remember.

• Bookmark this page so you can come back and work on your application:

http://carsonscholars.org/new-application

Main Menu

• To work on the main part of your application, go to “create or edit application.”

• Take note of the options here for recommendations and printing your application.

Step 1 – Read the Rules!• Read all the rules carefully! • Have a parent/guardian or teacher read them too.• Be aware of all deadlines.• Click “next” at the bottom of the page when you are ready

to get started.

Step 2 – Student Application Sheet• Whenever you click “next” at the bottom of the page, your application will save automatically. You can also click “save draft” at any point.

• Tips for completing the Student Application Sheet:• Make sure you read the social security number

agreement.• Dates should be entered dd/mm/yyyy• Phone numbers should be entered with no

punctuation (for example: 4108281005)• Use your school’s full name• Be careful that everything is accurate! Whatever you

enter here will go directly into our database – if you enter your address incorrectly, we won’t be able to find you!

Step 3 - Recommendation• If you are completing the online application, your recommendation must be completed online as well.

• You will need to go back to the main menu to start your recommendation.

• Your recommender will receive an email with a link. He/she should go to that link to upload the recommendation.

• The recommendation is confidential – you will not see it.

• The recommendation must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, January 10, 2014.

• Only one recommendation is required.• You can check the status of your recommendation request in your online application.

Step 4 – Biographical Information

• This section helps us get to know you better. • Answers can be lists, but include details as needed to help explain what something is. (For example, if a club has a name unique to your school, explain what the club does.)

• If you already have a document that lists all of your awards/recognitions, you can upload it. An uploaded document is not required for this section.

Step 5 – Report Card• Your report card can be uploaded as a PDF or JPEG OR it can be mailed as a hard copy.

• We are only looking for a current year report card. If that is just one quarter, that is fine.

• The report card must include your name and your school name.

• The report card is the only item that can be mailed separately if you are completing the online application.

• If you mail a report card, it must be postmarked by January 10, 2014. Include a letter with the report card that says the rest of the application is online.

Step 6– Community Service

• We are looking for community service beyond what is required for school• Elementary: This can mean something a student does

with his/her family, staying after class to help a teacher, volunteering at church, participating in girl scouts or boy scouts, etc.

• Middle: Activities should happen with some regularity and/or be a large event that requires some planning beforehand

• High: Activities should reflect some leadership/organizational ability

• Hours and dates can be estimated.• Make sure to point out unique accomplishments, leadership roles, etc.

Sample - Elementary

• Secretary of Gale-Bailey Elementary School Student Council• Sponsored “Angel Tree” families, providing holiday gifts to needy

families• Mitten Tree, providing hats, scarves, gloves, and mittens to needy

families• Gale-Bailey Elementary School Science Club

• Learn about, clean up, and take care of the Chesapeake Bay• March of Dimes Read-a-Thon – gold and silver medalist• Cancer Society Relay-for-Life fundraisers• Toys-for-Tots fundraisers• Canned food drive fundraisers• Indian Head Soccer Association

• Car wash and bake sale fundraisers

Sample – Middle • Community

• My family helped donate blankets and other items to local families who were having financial troubles.

• I collected soda tabs for the Ronald McDonald House.• I have worked with a younger Cub Scout den to help plan their meetings.

• Boy Scouts• I assisted the local fire department in their fundraiser by hanging

information sheets on doors and cleaning.• I have assisted with a number of Eagle projects.• My troop is working on an on-going program to monitor the water quality of

the Patuxent River (test water monthly).• School

• I have participated in my school’s Harvest for the Hungry food drive.• My school sent Thank You cards to Troops on Veteran’s Day.

• Church• In CCD, we made Christmas cards to send to troops in the Middle East.• We have made casseroles for a soup kitchen in Baltimore.

Sample – High • Summer volunteering at the Chestnut Ridge Volunteer

Fire Company, selling snowballs for fundraising drive.• Administrative tasks for the Foreclosure Prevention

Project of the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland (a non-profit which coordinates free legal services)

• Staff Assistant at the 20th Anniversary Gala of the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland (helped with preparations and the event itself)

• As a member of the National Junior Honor Society, helping to organize a school-wide Pennies for Patients campaign for medical research

• Participating in charity drives, such as the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure

• Assisting in photographing and coordinating a firehouse charity event for a child with brain cancer

Step 7 - Essay• Choose one question for your grade level.• Write and edit your essay in Microsoft Word or another

similar program first, then copy/paste it into the online form.

• The essay is worth the most points when we score applications.

Step 8 – Picture • If you are able to upload a picture, please do so. • The picture is not required.• Only upload a clear, recent headshot. (Look at the

samples!)• Photos are used at our awards banquets.

Step 9 – Signatures and Review• Complete this section with your parent/guardian.• Make sure to review your application before submitting it.

Once you submit it, you can’t make any changes.• We recommend you print a copy for your records.

Step 10 – Checklist and ReviewPrincipal Verification•On or around January 10th, the principal will receive an email asking him/her to review and verify the student’s application.•This is the online equivalent of having the principal sign a hard copy application.•Principals will have until Friday, January 17th, 2014 at 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time to do this.•Applications without a principal verification will be disqualified.•Principal verification is required for applications for Previous Scholar Recognition as well.

Review• After Step 10, you will be taken to a review page. Please

review all of the information you provided in the application.

• You will need to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to click “submit.”

• Once you submit your application, you cannot edit it.

Tips and Questions• Remember that all deadlines are final! Please plan

accordingly for school holidays, weather, absences, etc.!• Make sure everyone (principal, other educators, student,

recommender) sets spam/junk mail settings to accept all emails from @carsonscholars.org and @wizehive.com.

• Wizehive is the online application company we are working with and emails will come from wizehive.com on a regular basis. (Most likely workflow@wizehive.com.)

• For more information, please contact Katie Damaroda, Scholarship Director, at 410.828.1005 or katie@carsonscholars.org.