Fall 2024 Baylor University Invitation To Excellence Scholarship (US Based)

APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED, RE-OPENS IN AUG/SEP

Scholarship Awarding University: 
Baylor University

Type of degree: 
Bachelor’s

Scholarship Deadline: 
Applications for this scholarship will end on November 1, 2023.

Scholarship Summary: 
The Baylor Invitation to Excellence is a competitive program that showcases many of the exciting academic opportunities Baylor offers. Through this elite program, domestic students have robust experiences and conversations with faculty representing all nine schools and colleges.

Scholarship Applicant Criteria: 
Students who will be considered for invitation to this program are high-achieving, hoping to enroll in the Fall 2024 term and typically have scored 1420 or above on the SAT or a 32 or above on the ACT. Students who do not submit test scores may still qualify to be considered for an invitation.

Value of Scholarship: 
Invitation to Excellence Scholarship recipients can receive scholarships ranging from $5,000 - $20,000.

Participants who attend the in-person event and complete the remaining scholarship program requirements will receive a one-time $1,000 scholarship.

Scholarship Application Guide: 
To apply;
i. Submit a completed Baylor application by November 1, 2023. After you've submitted your application to Baylor, you'll gain access to your personal goBAYLOR portal.
  • If applying via Common App or ApplyTexas, you will receive an email 24-48 hours after submitting your application with a special link to activate your goBAYLOR account. 
  • Please do not create a duplicate goBAYLOR account as this could cause significant delays in your review for admission.
ii. If selected to attend, your special registration link will be in your goBAYLOR portal by December 15 under the "Connect & Visit" tab.   

Keep in mind: You can make changes to your application up until you click Submit. After submission, changes can not be made.

iii. If invited, you must register for the specific in-person event you are selected to attend. Included in the invitation will be an assigned date for you to attend. If you cannot attend in person, you may instead join for the virtual session. See dates below:
   - Invitation to Excellence I will be held in-person on January 26-27, 2024.
   - Invitation to Excellence II will be held in-person on February 9-10, 2024.
Important: Please do not make travel plans unless you have received an invitation and have successfully registered for your selected session.

iv. The deadline to respond to the invitation and confirm participation is December 22, 2023.

v.  Submit an essay after the program concludes. The essay prompt will be available in your goBAYLOR account. See essay due dates below:
  • For the January 26-27 program, written responses are due by 11:59 p.m. CST on January 29, 2024.
  • For the February 9-10 program, written responses are due by 11:59 p.m. CST on February 12, 2024.
vi.  Award notifications will be sent no later than March 1, 2024.

Scholarship Website: 
Find further information on this scholarship opportunity at the Baylor University Scholarships Programs Page.


Light bulb graphic used in the Baylor Invitation to excellence scholarships post
GUIDE TO MAKING AN APPLICATION FOR THE BAYLOR UNIVERSITY INVITATION TO EXCELLENCE SCHOLARSHIP
For applicants interested in the Invitation of Excellence scholarship at the Baylor University, we recommend using the milestone method where you complete a section of the scholarship process before moving onto the next one. 

1. FIRST MILESTONE

Ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria: This scholarship is primarily hinged on the academic qualifications of the applicant and so to stand a good chance in your application, you should have a GPA of no less than 3.5 and high test scores such as a 1420 SAT or 32 ACT (test scores are optional however if your GPA is very high). From our surveys, lower scores than these rarely get the opportunity to interview for the Invitation to Excellence scholarship.

2. SECOND MILESTONE

Complete the admissions application before the deadline and gain acceptance: To truly do justice to the Baylor application and ensure entry for undergraduate study, you'll have to look closely at the four qualities (criteria) they expect from their candidates; 
  1. Eagerness and passion for creative and intelligent activity
  2. Faith-motivated with a desire to use one's personal talents and strengths to serve others as best as one can
  3. Academic excellence in a rigorous curriculum and a penchant for engaging in meaningful extra-curricular activities
  4. Unending commitment to learning and service so as to continually improve on one's self as time goes by
All through the Baylor application process, you will be required to describe how your perspective and past experiences align with these 4 criteria by means of an essay, a personal statement and even recommendations by the people who know you best. In order to be in good running for admission into Baylor, we always advise prospective candidates to ensure that whatever essay or statement they are asked to turn in, convincingly checks each criterion listed above.
 

3. THIRD MILESTONE

Selection to interview on Scholarship Day for the Invitation to Excellence scholarship: If you get invited, please do give yourself a congratulatory pat; you are a part of the small cohort selected out of thousands of applicants who made an application for the Invitation to Excellence scholarship. 

This interview is set up to give you the opportunity to reinforce that you are deserving of the scholarship. You’ll get to interact with faculty teachers and future classmates. As advised, you might want to opt for a formal casual attire to match the atmosphere of the event. After the Scholarship day, you will be sent an essay topic which will once again check your fit with the Baylor’s admission (qualities) criteria.

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