Casey McCracken and Rebecca Vandermeulen at the BFI film festival

Candidates for the Park Scholar Award must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (federal guidelines) and apply to Ithaca College to pursue an undergraduate major within the Roy H. Park School of Communications. Transfer students are not eligible for the award.

To be considered for a Park Scholar Award:

1. Apply to Ithaca College using the Common Application online, and indicate a preferred undergraduate major within the Roy H. Park School of Communications

2. Complete the Park Scholar Award application in IC Connect by January 15, 2025, including:

  • Three essays
  • Two recommendation letters, from people who did not already provide a recommendation on the Common App
  • One personal history, listing your high school and community involvement, awards, and accomplishments.

Please note: The Park Scholar application cannot be viewed and completed until the application for admission to Ithaca College has been completed. The Park Scholar application in IC Connect will not be accessible until the Common Application to Ithaca College is complete, and all applicants are advised to give themselves enough time to complete the Park Scholar application by completing their application to Ithaca College well before the January 15 deadline.

Important Dates for Applicants

January 1, 2025 (or earlier): Apply to Ithaca College

Applicants must first complete the application to study in the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, using the Common Application, before they will be able to view the application to the Park Scholar Program on IC Connect. It is therefore strongly recommended that students complete the Common Application as early as possible and no later than January 1, 2025. The Park Scholar application in IC Connect will not be accessible until the Common Application to Ithaca College is complete, and all applicants are advised to give themselves enough time to complete the Park Scholar application by completing the Ithaca College application. as early as possible.

January 15, 2025 (or earlier): Apply for the Award

All Park Scholar Award applications must be completed in IC Connect no later than January 15, 2025.

March 3-5, 2025: Notification of Finalists

Park Scholar finalist decisions will be emailed to all applicants on or before March 5, 2025.

March 22-24, 2025: Finalist Weekend

All finalists for the Park Scholar award must be available to participate fully in Finalist Weekend, which will be held over Zoom, Saturday through Monday, March 22-24, 2025. Finalists will take part in individual and group interviews and information sessions.

Early April 2025: Award Recipients Notified

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional questions about the application process?

Please contact the Office of Admission
Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET

(link is a phone number) (607) 274-3590