APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED, RE-OPENS IN AUG/SEP
Scholarship Awarding University:
Baylor UniversityType of degree:
Bachelor’s
Scholarship Deadline:
Applications for this scholarship will end on the 15th of November, 2023.
Scholarship Summary:
In collaboration with the Honors College, the Getterman Scholars Program is open to high-achieving domestic students across academic disciplines, especially students interested in an integrated undergraduate liberal arts education that encourages connections between the various disciplines of study, the local and the global, the past and present, and the love of learning and service of God and neighbor. Getterman Scholar applicants are among the brightest in their high school classes, demonstrating success in competitive and rigorous high school course selections.
Scholarship Applicant Criteria:
Selected applicants typically have a 1500 or higher on the SAT and a 34 or higher on the ACT. Students may also qualify without submitting scores.
Value of Scholarship:
Selected recipients receive a scholarship valued at approximately $60,000 renewable per year, covering tuition, fees, room and board, along with support for study abroad, research and mission/service experiences.
Scholarship Application Guide:
To apply;
i. Submit a completed Baylor application by November 1. Though a completed admission file is not due until November 1, you are encouraged to submit your materials early to enhance your Scholarship Program application.
ii. After you've submitted your application to Baylor, you'll gain access to your personal goBAYLOR portal as well as to the 2023-2024 Scholarship Program application.
- If you apply with Common App or ApplyTexas, be aware that you will get a separate email 24-48 hours after you submit your application to create your goBAYLOR account.
- The 2024 Scholarship Program Application will be in your goBAYLOR portal under the "Connect & Visit" tab.
- Note: If you opt into providing your test scores on your Baylor admissions application, your test scores will be considered as part of your Scholarship Programs Application. If you opt out of providing your test scores on your Baylor admission application, your test scores will not be considered as part of your Scholarship Programs Application.
iii. Submit a completed application to the Baylor Honors College by 11:59 p.m. CT on November 15.
iv. Submit the 2023-2024 Scholarship Program application by 11:59 p.m. CT on November 15, indicating an interest in the Getterman Scholars Program.
- Note: The application process will involve uploading a three-minute video-recorded essay that responds to one of the following prompts:
- W.E.B. DuBois, in The Souls of Black Folk, decries Mammonism, the crass abandoning “of Goodness and Beauty and Truth” for “a dusty quest of gold.” He praises education that ponders the riddle of existence “that was laid before the Pharaohs, that was taught in the groves by Plato, that formed the trivium and quadrivium, and is to-day laid before the freedmen’s sons by Atlanta University. . . . [T]he true college will ever have one goal,--not to earn meat, but to know the end and aim of that life which meat nourishes.” Why are DuBois’s concerns relevant today? In what ways does Baylor’s Honors College—its vision, faculty, curriculum, and students—embody the one goal DuBois attributes to any true college? Is it easy or difficult for a Christian college to live up to DuBois’s ideals?
- In one of his poems, G.M. Hopkins laments, “And Thou art silent, whilst Thy world / Contends about its many creeds / And hosts confront with flags unfurled / And zeal is flushed and pity bleeds / And truth is heard, with tears impearled, A moaning voice among the reeds.” What is the predicament that Hopkins decries? What contending creeds in our world today capture your attention? What features of a Baylor Honors College education (including its vision, faculty, curriculum, and students) would prepare you to recognize truth in the way Hopkins’ poem suggests, and with what results for your life beyond college?
Keep in mind, you can make changes to your application up until you click Submit. After submission, changes can not be made.
v. Selected applicants will be notified to participate in a scholarship event by December 15 and all applicants will need to schedule required interactions and confirm participation in a faculty session by December 22, 2023.
vi. Selected applicants must attend the Candidate Interviews with Honors College Faculty (In-Person Event) session on January 26, 2024 and also attend Invitation to Excellence (Honors College Session) on January 27, 2024.
Please note: Getterman Scholars applicants, if selected as part of the program, will be required to participate in both Getterman Scholars Day and Invitation to Excellence in order to be considered for the program’s scholarship.
v. Recipients will be notified on the 1st of March, 2024.
Scholarship Website:
Find further information on this scholarship opportunity at the Baylor University Scholarships Programs Page.
The Baylor Getterman Scholarship is Baylor’s most prestigious scholarship and in selecting the right candidates, the scholarship review team will have to unbundle each candidate’s application and get to the root of what drives them and measure it against the Baylor’s Honors College admission criteria.
Let’s look at each step in the Getterman journey closely;
1. GENERAL ADMISSION PROCESS
a. Academic Credential: Getterman Scholars represent the top 1% of the incoming freshman class and recipients typically have a minimum GPA of a 3.8/4.0 and a 1500 SAT/34 ACT. There is no compromise on this first criterion and you will have to aim for the above academic credentials to get consideration for the Getterman Scholarship.
b. Essay: You will be required to complete an essay that will test your fit with Baylor’s admission expectations which are described in the four statements below;
- Excited and motivated about intellectual activity
- Want to be part of a community that values faith and personal calling
- Have challenged themselves academically and embraced opportunities outside the classroom
- Recognize that life, learning and service go hand-in-hand beyond the four years of college
Let’s take a look at the actual short essay prompt Baylor includes in its admission application;
What are you looking for in a university, why do you want to attend Baylor, and how do you see yourself contributing to the Baylor community?
We advise candidates to weave an essay that reads like a story and holds the attention of the reader. Start with the experience that fueled your decision to study your course of choice and build an engaging story around that tale, then proceed to giving an honest description of why Baylor was your selected institution choice (maybe testimonials from family, engagement with the Admissions team or even the colorful posts on social media handles).
Whatever you do, the essay has to be written authentically from your experience or it will never do the job of standing out from the thousands of applications that will surely be received by Baylor. After completing your essay, test with the four statements above to ensure that it aligns with the qualities, Baylor seeks from its candidates.
c. Other Documentation: Submit all other necessary documentation on the admissions checklist e.g, transcripts, recommendation, resume e.t.c.
2. HONORS COLLEGE APPLICATION
Once you have completed the general application process, you will be given access to the goBaylor portal where you can now apply for the Honors college application. Scroll towards the bottom of the page. Under "Academic Program Information," click "Apply to the Honors College" and follow the instructions.
For this application, you will be tested based on the Honors college motto below;
Love truth, kindle faith, and cultivate virtue in friendship, study, and service to Christ and neighbor.
Your job as the applicant is to make sure that your essay or whatever prompt given, is answered in alignment with the qualities presented in the motto above. Leave no stone unturned in expressing what your passions are and what fuels that drive.
3. SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
After completing the Honors college application, you can now apply for the Getterman scholarship application which is also located in the goBaylor portal.
In this application, you will be required to prepare a 3 minute video expressing your thoughts on an essay prompt by a speaker. The key to doing a good video presentation for the Getterman scholarship application is by dissecting the essay prompt into three steps;
- What underlying message is the speaker trying to convey? Condense it into one phrase to give you clarity on the true point of focus
- Use the message to answer the questions presented in the second part using your original line of thought, not what you think Baylor wants to hear. Authenticity and originality is the key to standing out in your application.
- Circle back to the Honors College motto and test it to see if it aligns with it
A great presentation will clearly understand the message of the speaker and use it to answer the posed questions with an original line of thought.
Also, your composure should be confident and your delivery should be convincing and unapologetic.
4. INTERVIEWS
Semi-finalists for the Getterman Scholarship would have to participate in two sets of interviews; one with the general scholarship review board and the other with the Honors College review team. Both teams will have the same job of filtering applicants who better fit the profile of a Getterman Scholar.
The keyword to doing a good job in these interviews is confidence; you have to take ownership of your perspective and speak assuredly on whatever question is being directed at you.
Also your choice of dressing carries a lot of weight in your assessment as a potential Getterman’s Scholar, so we advise candidates to opt for a formal-casual attire that is neat and tailored.
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