How to Apply

Any U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (federal guidelines) who applies as a first-year college student to Ithaca College for an undergraduate major within the Roy H. Park School of Communications is eligible to apply for a Park Scholar Award.

Note: Transfer students are not eligible for the award.

In previous years, the Park Scholar Program has received approximately 300–400 applications.

Each year, very few scholarships are awarded. The number varies from year to year. In 2025 it is likely that 6 park scholar awards will be given. 

No numerical limits are set. All applications will be reviewed. The award is extremely competitive, however, and applicants should understand that dedication to academic excellence and intellectual curiosity will be weighed heavily, along with demonstrated commitment to service and leadership.

The online application requires the following: three essays that are unique to the Park Scholar application; two letters of recommendation that are unique to the Park Scholar application, meaning they cannot be from people who already provided a letter of recommendation for the Common Application; and a resume that includes volunteer, leadership, and employment activities. 

Yes and no. The three essays and the resume must be submitted together, along with names and contact information for the two people writing letters of recommendation. Those people will submit the letters directly to the college. Applicants are not permitted to forward letters of recommendation that were sent first to the applicant.

Yes. Applicants must submit the names of two additional people who will write recommendation letters specifically for the Park Scholar application, meaning these letters will be from two people in addition to -- i.e., separate from -- the people who provided a letter of recommendation to support the application to Ithaca College on the Common Application.

No. The Park Scholar application uses the transcript submitted on the Common Application to Ithaca College.

The Park Scholar application needs to be received by January 13, 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 that application. It is advisable, therefore, to complete the application to study in the Roy H. Park School of Communications, as early as possible. For information on the college application process, visit Admission.

All applicants (including those not selected as finalists) are notified of their finalist status in writing by the middle of February 2025. Award recipients will be notified in writing by late March 2025.

The Finalist Weekend is an opportunity (1) for applicants who were selected as finalists for the award to learn more about the program, through information sessions and individual and group activities, and (2) for the review committee to learn more about each applicant, through a series of individual and group interviews. All students selected as a finalist for the Park Scholar Award are expected to participate in the Finalist Weekend. Finalists will be emailed with the details for the Finalist Weekend, which will be held at the beginning of March.

Approximately 12–15 finalists are invited to participate in “Finalist Weekend.”