Understanding the 2024 Fisk University Merit Scholarships Application Process

APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED, RE-OPENS IN AUG/SEP

Scholarship Awarding University: 
Fisk University

Type of degree: 

Bachelor’s

Scholarship Deadline: 

Applications for this scholarship will close on the 1st of February, 2024 (priority deadline is December 3rd, 2023)

Scholarship Summary: 

Fisk University offers merit-based scholarships to help academically talented students (domestic and international) cover the cost of their education as University resources permit. In addition to a competitive academic record, students interested in merit-based awards should also present a record of demonstrated leadership and community service.

Scholarship Applicant Criteria: 
Students are evaluated on the strength of their admission application in comparison against the applicant pool and recipients tend to be in the top 20%.

Value of Scholarship: 

The Fisk Merit-based Scholarships are namely as follows;
i. Erastus Milo Cravath Presidential Scholarship: Covers full tuition, fees, room & board.
ii. Ella Sheperd Moore Provost Scholarship: Covers full tuition.
iii. Fisk Outstanding Scholars and Leaders Award: Ranges from $5,000 - $15,000

All above awards are renewable annually. Recipients must earn a minimum of 12-18 credit hours per semester. 

Scholarship Application Guide: 

Scholarships are not guaranteed and there is no separate application. Students are evaluated on the strength of their admission application in comparison against the applicant pool. 

Scholarship Website: 
Find further information on this scholarship opportunity at the Fisk University Scholarship Page.


Light bulb graphic used in the University of Arizona merit scholarships post
GUIDE TO MAKING AN APPLICATION FOR THE FISK UNIVERSITY FRESHMAN MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS
The Fisk University Freshman Merit Scholarship application process is no different from the undergraduate admissions process and so we will dive into the tried and tested strategy of submitting a stellar application to Fisk University.

The first place to start is knowing what Fisk looks for in a freshman applicant and we can accurately garner that from their website;

According to the Fisk University website, the Office of Recruitment and Admission identifies and recruits talented students to comprise the entering class annually. They actively look for students of demonstrated academic acumen that possess strong records of leadership and service.

Now that we have identified the key qualities Fisk desires in its applicants, we'll explore the individual components that can make or mar your application:

1. Exceptional academic acumen

Fisk has a long history of churning out graduates that have become pioneers in their various fields and thus, they seek students who can demonstrate the academic ability to handle the rigorous curriculum in place at Fisk. Applicants with a GPA of 3.0 GPA can expect to be considered for a scholarship but for higher scholarship amounts, you will need to obtain a minimum GPA of 3.75. The minimum test scores that will put you in consideration for a scholarship review start from 1200 SAT/25 ACT.

Also, it is important to note that Fisk is very interested in the details of your prior studies curriculum and requires all applicants to provide the course descriptions of the courses taken, on a word document.

2. Strong records of leadership and service 

Applicants who can demonstrate great leadership potential in their personal statement or essay, will have their application reviewed for a considerable scholarship.

From our survey of past applications, listing out periods of time where you held a leadership position is not going to be enough for a scholarship review. You need to compose your statement/essay in the following order:
  1. build up a story whereby you identified a problem
  2. put together a team made of individuals with the requisite skills to solve the problem
  3. designed a work strategy that effectively and efficiently utilized the personnel and resources to tackle the problem
Your statement/essay will have an increased edge if the problem identified, affected a large body of people, such as your school, church, neighbourhood or community. Fisk is big on applicants looking beyond themselves and applying their talents and skills towards serving others or fighting for a worthy cause [read up on the Fisk Jubilee singers in this Fisk Issuu document (Pg 14) and their innovative way of raising money in order to keep Fisk running].

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