Scholarship Reviewer Instructions - Edmonds Community …

[Pages:3]Scholarship Reviewer Instructions

Thank you for volunteering to be a scholarship reviewer for our annual awards process.

We could not do this without you.

Two years ago, the Foundation purchased new scholarship software, AcademicWorks. We are very excited about the long-term possibilities for students through the use of this software, and hope that as reviewers, you also find the process to be easy and straightforward.

Overview

How are scholarships reviewed? With the exception of scholarships requiring extra documentation ("Apply To" scholarships), reviews are done at the application level. Each application will be reviewed three times to help make the process as equitable as possible.

How are students matched to scholarships? Within the scholarship software, students are either automatically matched to a scholarship or recommended to apply for a scholarship that requires additional application materials.

Auto Match: AcademicWorks automatically matches applicants to the scholarships for which they're qualified based on their responses in the general application. About 90% of our scholarships are Auto Match.

Apply To: Based on responses in the general application, students are suggested to look at scholarship opportunities that require additional information such as special essays or letters of reference. Students must fulfill the additional requirements before being applied for that particular scholarship.

As a result, we will be reviewing applications in two ways: By Application (student): The Auto Match applications will be reviewed by student. This allows for a single set

of scores to populate every scholarship for which the student qualified. By Scholarship: The Apply To applications will be reviewed by scholarship, giving the reviewers the ability to

score not only the basic application rubrics, but those created for the special requirements.

Scoring

You will be scoring the four basic sections of each student's application: Academic Score: (10 points maximum) Financial Need: (10 points maximum) Required General Essays: (5 points maximum, each essay) Optional Essay Question: (1 point maximum)

All scoring will be done online through the AcademicWorks software. The software will tally your score along with the scores of all others reviewing that student/scholarship. Student scores will then be applied back to each Auto Match scholarship where the students will be ranked high to low score. This gives the staff that will be awarding the scholarship the ability to start at the top and award until all available funds have been used.

If you are assigned one of the Apply To scholarships: Scholarship Specific Essays: (5 points maximum, each): Some scholarships require that the student answer specific essay questions. Letters of Reference/Recommendation: (5 points maximum, each): Some scholarships require the student to submit letters of reference. Recognizing that letters of reference may have been written for more general use (in support of a job application, college admission, etc), please review based on how effectively it highlights the student's level of: Dedication, Skill, Passion, Leadership, Work Ethic, or Family/Community Involvement.

2015/16 Scholarship Scoring Instructions

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Academic Score: (10 points maximum)

The chart below provides GPA ranges and assigned scores. The software does not "pre-score" any portion of the student's application; therefore this chart has been provided.

Points

GPA Range

1

2.50 ? 2.65

2

2.66 ? 2.80

3

2.81 ? 2.95

4

2.96 ? 3.10

5

3.11 ? 3.25

6

3.26 ? 3.40

7

3.41 ? 3.55

8

3.56 ? 3.70

9

3.71 ? 3.85

10

3.86+

Financial Need Score: (10 points maximum)

Based on the applicants' answers to the questions in the Financial Need section of the application.

To score Financial Need: Review the responses in the Financial Need section and use the provided Washington State Median Family Income Chart (MFI) and locate the student's annual family income and size. Based on the information provided by the student and where they fall on the chart, what do you believe is the student's level of financial need? A very high financial need would warrant a score of ten (10), while a very low financial need would warrant a score of one (1) or zero (0).

Things to consider: What is their income? Do they support anyone other than themselves? Are they employed or receiving any kind of financial assistance? Did they provide a clear plan of how they will pay for school without a scholarship? In the overview of their financial situation, did they make a strong case as to why they need a scholarship?

Use of the MFI: The State uses the Median Family Income Chart to determine the level of financial aid available to students. The chart below shows what percentage of financial aid a student is eligible for based on their MFI range. You can use this chart to help you score from 0-10.

MFI Range 0-50% 51-55% 56-60% 61-65% 66-70%

% of Award 100% 70% 65% 60% 50%

2015/16 Scholarship Scoring Instructions

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Essay Question Scores: (5 points maximum each) Use the rubric provided to assign a score to each essay question.

Questions 1-4: Score based on the rubrics provided (see initial reviewer email or click the download links at the top of the review page in AcademicWorks) for a maximum of 20 total points

Question 5: This question is optional and does not receive a score of 1-5. Please consider the following question: "Has the applicant told you anything that benefits their application in Essay 5?" and score as follows: o N/A (no answer), No, Yes

Scholarship-Specific Questions: Score based on the rubrics provided (see initial reviewer email or click the download links at the top of the review page in AcademicWorks) for a maximum of 5 points each.

Important Notes The Foundation is looking for how well the student articulated their answer to the question. We ask the student to be concise, so the length is not the focus.

The College has a high population of students whose primary language is not English. Please remember that we do not score the students on spelling, conventions or grammar.

Once You've Completed Your Reviews Each student is scored by a minimum of 3 readers. The student(s) with the highest overall score will be awarded scholarships. Please let us know if you'd like to learn which applicants received the scholarships you reviewed.

2015/16 Scholarship Scoring Instructions

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