If you’re reading this thread in 2017, RUN. Seriously, run. Close this freaking tab and ban this site from your laptop. It’s just not worth the stress. Forget that you even applied - let it surprise you. We are all currently going through hell anxiously waiting for this dumb decision to hit us in the face. And while we do so, we are trying to anxiously play Sherlock while criticizing each other and telling one another what to do AND how to feel. It’s not healthy in the slightest.
Sure, we find humor and fun in some of the things we say, but, deep down, we are all anxious little kids waiting by the window for the creepy ice cream truck to blast his music on his way to our cul-de-sac. And while we do so, we are circle jerking our anxiety to levels that make us want to go out and start search parties to go find that damn truck and force him to sell us that damn Klondike bar.
Look, I’m a competitive person, I love a challenge, and thrive on stress. I’ve done it all my life. Take it from the arrogant dick that I am, this forum is just going to make the wait worse.
@LostUber Nobody at my school had Fall grades when they submitted their application because our semester had not ended. Of our applicants, five were declared semi-finalists on March 8th; three received the financial form (of those, one was considered a dependent, traditional age; and two were independent, one traditional age and one nontraditional. Of those who didn’t receive it, one was a dependent but non-traditional age and one was a traditional aged dependent); and two of those received this most recent email. The only unusual circumstance is that one our semi-finalists had withdrawn from her Fall courses due to an episode of family turmoil and homelessness, but that was noted on her application so JKCF would have known not to expect any new grades from her at this time; however, she still received the most recent request. (Ergo: one person who received it had >50-60 credits with Fall grades unreported and another had no Fall grades to report.)
I am not saying to take this most recent email as a sign of hope, especially since it seems likely they are still narrowing people down, but who received this email / who did not does not seem to be correlated with any particular applicant circumstance. Even within my own school, circumstances vary widely and there does not seem to be a particular pattern. Thus far, it seems that only those who received the financial form have received this update, but we at CC - and even in my school (where this was also true) - are only a small sample of the total applicant pool. Likewise, there is no way to know if not receiving the latter communications means that you are no longer under consideration, but these theories to explain why are not resolving that.
I hope it doesn’t seem as if I am upset or critical at you - we are all stressed and trying to encourage each other. More than anything, I think people want and need clarity as to what is happening in their lives. Unfortunately, it seems that we have no mechanism through which to obtain that for certain until JKCF sends out final award notifications.
@optimisticky It seems there is a downside to knowing who is in the semi-finals. All of you could only support each other in the dark, while we have little pieces of information to analyze and stress over.
I’ve been following this thread for the past couple of days now, and I can safely safe that I’ve gone through the stages of grief at least 20 times in the last 4 days. lol, I’m slowly dying.
There is nothing more we can do, all. The form is due on Monday, so we will know nothing before then. Hopefully that will give them what they need to announce recipients either later that week or the week thereafter. In response to my reply to this most recent email request, I was told that I should hear my status in the coming weeks. (Which is not especially descript)
I know this might be easier for me to say because I have received each form, though we are all still confused and stressed. I hope this doesn’t feel as if this is invalidating the particular experiences of not having heard anything - at least those of us who received the forms have something productive we can do for our applicants, even if that is simply filling out unexplained forms, and know that someone is looking at our file, even if we do not know if that is positive or negative. Everyone, please take care of yourselves.
@pearsonx True enough. The only comfort I take in this message is that this was sent from a specific coordinator within the foundation and not a support specialist or mass form. But who knows what could delay them at this point.
We can only go along for the ride and do our best not to lose our minds.
The original semi-finalist email from the director with the funny glasses said we would know sometime in 2016. I guess sometime before next January would be the only confident conclusion.
My only unbiased conclusion is that the stated aim of this scholarship is to bridge the gap. If we are encouraged to reach, but are unable and fall, this process may have simply widened that gap.
Sometimes I get angry and hope that I don’t get this thing because I don’t want anyone else to co-op my success. This waiting in the dark has depened that conviction. Will we be talking points, or worse, selling points?
I want to share my success, I want to advocate for the under-privileged. I want that advocacy to make the difference, not simply prevent someone from taking out loans or going to the only school that makes sense to their present financial system.
If you have decisions to make about school and this scholarship would mean the difference between you achieving your dreams or accepting your lot in life, I feel deeply compassionate about your situation.
If you’re like me, and this would just help a lot, and you are more frustrated with the process, then “que será, será.”
@aritransfer16 thank you! I know wishing won’t get me anywhere at this point, but I wished they had specific answers for us. But I learned yesterday that whatever happens happens!
@anyoneanywhere Agreed. Again, I just wish that they had more concrete answers than in a week or so. No matter what the results are though, it doesn’t mean I’m going to give up on my dreams and goals. It just makes me want work even harder!
“The original semi-finalist email from the director with the funny glasses said we would know sometime in 2016. I guess sometime before next January would be the only confident conclusion.”
Yes! I am so glad that someone else noticed that wording. I have been joking for months about us receiving the announcement on Dec. 31st, 2016 at 11:59 PM ES
“Sometimes I get angry and hope that I don’t get this thing because I don’t want anyone else to co-op my success. This waiting in the dark has depened that conviction. Will we be talking points, or worse, selling points? I want to share my success, I want to advocate for the under-privileged. I want that advocacy to make the difference…”
Yes. You will be those things. Without depreciating what the JKCF does, as well as the community and support it gives, this is a band-aide for the current system - if that. Low-income applicants shouldn’t have to depend upon a process such as this to attend school and an organization shouldn’t have to depend upon those narrative constructions to gain visibility and influence. This scholarship changes the lives of those who receive it; but there is so much more that needs to be done.
I might not be able to finish my BA with any degree of stability without this scholarship, though when I do not receive it that will not stop me from doing what I can regardless. It shouldn’t have to be that hard or risky.
That being said, all of our successes’ are a collection of our relationships and communities. Being able to attend college without a JKCF Scholarship is a testament to that - your success is co-opted by your class privileges and other intersections. That is not an accusation or critique, but a reminder that none of us entirely own our circumstances.
@jdcen0412 I do think it is unfair that there has been no update in status. I respect their need and desire to make meticulous decisions, but if some of us have been ruled out already it would be helpful for people to know before deposit deadlines come. Again - I do not want to depreciate anything they do. But maybe next year having both a semifinalist and finalist round might be helpful?
@aritransfer16 We are, in fact all interdependent. 85 scholarships will not change the whole world. By letting people know their options before they have to commit to a school would put a few more of this class of students into some of the better schools; thereby creating a chain of influence that could exceed the capacity of the foundation.
I have worked 50-60 hours per week while attending school full time to afford a chance at attending a state school. My whining is more like a tired old guy getting grumpy, needing a nap. It would be amazing to see what’s possible if I could put all this work into academics in a university setting.
Remember, it’s not about our struggle, but what we decided to do with our struggle. Hardship serves as motivation and forges character.
I could’ve stayed a homeless highschool dropout, I instead decided to turn it around and win NASA robot competitions and start a non-profit. I know everyone here can relate.
No matter what happens, remember always to represent the idea that circumstance is independent of the materialization of dreams. Anyone, anywhere, can become the person they’ve always dreamed about becoming.
It just takes hard work and dedication.
The strongest societies are that which its individuals are empowered. Best of luck to everyone, and may we all continue to empower our peers to follow their dreams.
@Quietlybear Thanks for that. I guess something like this at least brings all that aspiration and self-determination into the same forum. May your robots do no harm.
@CherryBlossom22 lol right? Did you get nominated to Who’s Who at your school this year? You can complete a quick profile and have a chance at a few thousand dollars. I just did that after finding a piece of mail about it. A long shot, but I’ll take what I can get at this point.
Just an update for you guys:
I am one who has not gotten any follow up emails since the semi-finalist notification. Against the wishes of some here lol, I did call today. But I have to turn in a 300 dollar deposit to another school by Sunday that I wouldn’t go to with the JKC scholarship, so I really had a financial reason to want to know.
Of course they didn’t tell me anything, but they gave me some hope they were going to. The first lady I called referred me to another number, and this gentleman asked my name, put me on hold for about ten minutes and came back to tell me he was “looking at my application right now” but he couldn’t release any more information than that. I have no idea why the wait time was so long or why they would even have me call if I couldn’t get any information. I did hear a semifinalist I have a mutual friend with was told he did not get it when he called a few weeks ago. I know a lot of people on this thread had that same problem though, so it may not mean much.
I’m just assuming I’m out but I just know I’m going to incessantly check this thread until they tell me for sure lol.