A brief introduction to the Gates Millennium Scholars program.

1. Introduction to the
Gates Millennium Scholars Program
www.gmsp.org
Created by Phong Luu

2.  The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS)
Program, established in 1999, was initially
funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation.
 The goal of GMS is to promote academic
excellence and to provide an opportunity for
outstanding minority students with significant
financial need to reach their highest
potential.

3. Four Partner Organizations

4. GMS Eligibility Requirements
• Be of African American, American Indian/Alaska Native,
Asian American, Pacific Islander American or Hispanic American
ethnicity as defined by U.S. Census.
• Be a citizen, national, or legal permanent resident of the United
States. (Citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated
States of Micronesia and Republic of Palau are also eligible to
apply).
• Will enroll in a U.S. accredited college or university as a full-
time, degree-seeking, first-year student for the first time.
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale
(unweighted) or have earned a GED.
• Must apply for federal financial aid using the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and meet the Federal Pell Grant
eligibility criteria (determined by the FAFSA).

5. GMS: Application Process
 Complete Nominee Personal
Information Form
 Available online at www.gmsp.org
 Request a Nominator
 A person familiar with your academic achievements.
 Relatives can NOT serve as a Nominator.
 Request a Recommender
 Any adult familiar with your community service and
leadership activities.
 Relatives can NOT serve as a Recommender.

6. GMS: Application Process (cont.)
 Complete the FAFSA form
 Submit ALL nomination materials
by the deadline
 Deadline: January 16, 2013 at 11:59pm EDT
 Late nomination materials will NOT be accepted

7. TO APPLY:
1. Go to www.gmsp.org
2. Click on “GMS Application”

8. TO APPLY (cont.):
Your nominator and recommender
3. Click on “Apply for
can complete forms with questions
This Scholarship” about your character, academic
record, leadership and community
service activities by clicking on
"Write a Reference"

9. TO APPLY (cont.):
4. Click on “Register”

10. TO APPLY (cont.)
5. Fill out your email information
and click “Start Registration”

11. TO APPLY (cont.):
6. Begin to complete the information
fields and click “Continue”

12. GMS APPLICATION
ESSAY QUESTIONS & TIPS
NOTE: 1000 WORD LIMIT PER ESSAY
• Discuss the subjects in which you excel or have excelled. To
what factors do you attribute your success?
TIPS
• It is OK to ask for help. Share the resources (i.e., programs,
individuals) that supported you throughout your successes

13. GMS APPLICATION
ESSAY QUESTIONS & TIPS
NOTE: 1000 WORD LIMIT PER ESSAY
• Discuss the subjects in which you had difficulty. What factors do
you believe contributed to your difficulties? How have you dealt
with them so they will not cause problems for you again? In
what areas have you experienced the greatest improvement?
What problem areas remain?
TIPS
• Don’t be hesitant to talk about mistakes you have made and
obstacles you have overcome. Make sure to include what you
learned from those experiences and how they have impacted
you since.
• If you feel you there are still personal challenges ahead
(academically, personally, socially, etc.), explain why.

14. GMS APPLICATION
ESSAY QUESTIONS & TIPS
NOTE: 1000 WORD LIMIT PER ESSAY
• Briefly describe a situation in which you felt you or others were
treated unfairly or were not given an opportunity you felt you
deserved. Why do you think this happened? How did you
respond? Did the situation improve as a result of your response?
TIPS
• When you share obstacles that you have overcome, it is
important to share what you learned about yourself throughout
the process, and how it is going to shape your decisions and
perspective as you move forward.

15. GMS APPLICATION
ESSAY QUESTIONS & TIPS
NOTE: 1000 WORD LIMIT PER ESSAY
• Discuss your short and long-term goals. Are some of them
related? Which are priorities?
• Discuss a leadership experience you have had in any area of
your life: school, work, athletics, family, church, community,
etc. How and why did you become a leader in this area? How
did this experience influence your goals?
TIPS
• Share what influenced your goals, (i.e., personal experience,
someone else’s experience, an observation you made). What
are you doing today to reach them? How will your education and
community involvement help you reach those goals?

16. GMS APPLICATION
ESSAY QUESTIONS & TIPS
NOTE: 1000 WORD LIMIT PER ESSAY
• Discuss your involvement in and contributions to a community near
your home, school, or elsewhere. Please select an experience
different from the one you discussed in the previous question,
even if this experience also involved leadership. What did you
accomplish? How did this experience influence your goals?
• Other than through classes in school, in what areas (non-academic
or academic) have you acquired knowledge or skills? How?
TIPS
• Ask yourself why you decided to become involved in your
community and what was the impact it had on others.

17. GMS APPLICATION
ESSAY QUESTIONS & TIPS
NOTE: 1000 WORD LIMIT PER ESSAY
• Is there anything else you would like to tell us about that may
help us evaluate your nomination, i.e., personal characteristics,
obstacles you have overcome, etc.?
• ONLY for Nominees who graduated from high school or earned
their GED more than one year ago: Describe those activities in
which you have participated since completing high school (i.e.,
community service, leadership, employment) that you believe
qualify you for this scholarship.
TIPS
• Your essay responses should reflect who you are, where you are
coming from, and your lived experiences.

18. QUESTIONS?
Visit our website:
www.gmsp.org
Contact Information:
1-877-690-4677
contactus@gmsp.org