Before You Get Started
Before you get started, please have the following materials and files prepared to upload.
Essays
As part of the application process, we ask that you write 5 short essays (no longer than 10 Kbytes each) on the following topics:
- Introduction: tell us who you are and where you come from;
- Extraordinary Is: tell us about what being extraordinary is and how it applies to you;
- Challenges: tell us about the challenges you have faced growing up and how you overcame them;
- Accomplishments: tell us about the accomplishments you have made in your life; and
- Goals: tells us about your life goals and dreams.
You will have an opportunity to write (or copy/paste) your plain-text essays into the application form.
Files and Eligibility
To complete your application, we need some important files from you.
We need the following:
- Your high school transcript;
- Two (2) letters of recommendation;
- A signed copy of the US Government IRS W-9 tax form; and
- A large, high-quality photo or headshot of you suitable for publication (not a selfie!).
W-9 Form
Download a W-9 FormAll scholarship recipients must submit a US Government IRS W-9 tax form to receive any scholarship funds from the foundation. Please download the W-9 and fill out and sign page 1 of the form. You can use software like Preview or Adobe Acrobat to complete the PDF, or you may print out the PDF, fill in the form, and submit a photo of the completed W-9 form (just page 1) with your application.
Important: How to Name Your Files
Please use the following conventions to name your files. This will help us expedite your application efficiently.
- Transcript: Your-Name-Transcript.pdf
- Letter of Recommendation #1: Your-Name-Letter-1.pdf
- Letter of Recommendation #2: Your-Name-Letter-2.pdf
- W-9: Your-Name-W9.pdf or Your-Name-W9.jpg
- Your Photo: Your-Name.jpg
Replace
Your-Name with your first and last name.
Your high school transcript and the two letters of recommendation must be in PDF format.
Your W-9 must be filled out and signed (page 1). You may submit the W-9 in PDF format or in JPEG format, whichever is more convenient.
Your photo must be in JPEG format, and should have a 8x10 ratio (minimum 576x720 pixels). A print-ready 8x10 image should have the dimensions of 1728x2160 pixels.
NOTE: The maximum file size we can accept is 5MB. You may find that the default compression of your JPEG image results in an image that is too large. If your image file is larger than 5MB, please increase the JPEG compression when you save it from your image editor. You may also use free online compression sites like
compressjpeg.com to get your file under the 5MB limit.
Failure to submit any of the required files in the required formats will delay our ability to evaluate your application and could jeopardize your chances of earning an ExtraordinaryIs scholarship.