I know that everyone is stressed out with this process, as am I, so I wanted to share a video that was released today that will hopefully inspire and motivate everyone to keep pushing forward. I know that this is an anonymous forum, so please be kind now that you will know who I am. And make sure you have tissues before you watch it lol. https://youtu.be/Up6Vg70RJnQ
i recommend chocolate banana splits and mortal kombat tournaments. no human fatalism that can withstand the power of decadent desserts and button mashing.
it’s starting to feel like an episode of “game of thrones” in here and i’m only on season two. 
i hope we hear the news soon. i’m rooting for each of you.
Just finished my last final today and now my body is shutting down and I think I’m getting sick. Which sucks because I have to pack up all my stuff and move by Saturday and I really don’t feel like it. I need a week of rest but instead I signed up for three months of firefighting. Hooray!
@Quietlybear you can have some champagne and I’ll have some root beer and be the designated driver.
Picking up some hobbies while I wait for a response. I’m starting a new pencil carving project, and some artwork. I will maybe post an update when I’m done with it!
I’d like to know how everyone else is passing time! Let’s give each other some ideas.
@ForestryGuy I had to take my finals with some serious allergies. Whenever I wasn’t making myself upright to take the damn things, I was completely crashed on the couch. I have no idea how I managed to pull off the grades I got.
@midia I’m mainly watching TV and trying to get ready for a leadership thing I have next week. So glad I get a little bit of a break between graduation and the next thing but it is leaving too much time to think and worry.
@Deviantdex Thank you–for all of it.
I’m a PTSD survivor of a different kind, and that story is so full of hope. I’m inspired. Keep showing up, you’re story is universal. We are not alone. Talk is cheap, sharing is immeasurably more.
hey guys, just wanted to let you know that my JKCF advisor at my community college just informed me that the JKCF will contact all winners on May 20th.
She received an email from them telling her this
I am so glad I found this forum tonight…I have been driving myself crazy waiting to receive an answer. Thanks to @leeminho for posting an update. My PTK advisor asks me everyday if I heard anything, and I ask her the same. At least now we can just discuss our upcoming Regional Convention without having the IDK conversation again. Thanks again for the piece of mind
I’ve seen so much confusing information posted on this forum over the last few weeks. Some of these posts have just broken my heart. I wanted to post information that I have received from JKC based upon my direct requests for information. I have no idea if this information is correct but this is what I have been told. By the way, I am a faculty adviser. #1. Just because a student did not receive a request for additional information does not mean that student is no longer being considered for the scholarship. #2. A total of 590 applicants were named semi-finalists. #3. Faculty representatives will be informed regarding winners prior to students receiving packets from JKC (students will not receive an email prior to the school being informed). #4. Winners will be announced within the next two weeks (well, now it would be a week and a half).
@leeminho Interesting. I will check in with my coordinators. Did your adviser have to ask or were they contacted?
But honestly, May 20 is too late for most of my admissions and I am likely going to have to take at least one of my acceptances out of consideration - there is no way I can have them wait that long.
@Distinguished May I ask when you were told that advisers would be contacted first? Because each time this has been brought it with them they have very firmly told me that applicants will be contacted directly, including one staff member who answered and said “I know because I am the one who sends out the emails.”
(And welcome to the boards!)
Hello! Regarding how applicants will be informed: Told this 10 days ago in an email reply to a question I asked a month ago.
Hey y’all! I was notified as a semi-finalist in March and STILL have heard nothing. How about y’all? When I call, they tell me nothing.
@WBHS2014 Same.
We can talk about dates, the number of initial semifinalists, and the insignificance
Of financial forms or current transcripts but here’s the bottom line…
No matter what way you slice it, at some point, the foundation WILL consider all of these things(in no particular order):
- The strength of your story+essay
- Your overall GPA/Honors status
- Your community/extracurricular activities/PTK Status
- The strength of your recommendations
- Your financial need
- Your school choices
- A clear plan of what you want to accomplish
Out of these 7, based on hard data, not speculation, we know GPA and financial need are HIGHLY important based on DATA. The foundation even states on their website that although they consider income up to $90,000, the average recipients are closer to $5,000 of individual income.
You can download the PDF of the charts from past winners and see with hard data that this is what the foundation considers heavily, along with GPA.The average GPA for winners is well above 3.5 because it is so competitive.
What’s my point? At some point the foundation HAS to take finances and GPA into consideration. Occasionally, someone’s story is so powerful, it will supercede GPA/Finances, and that’s why there’s no “cookie-cutter scholar.”
Those forms may not count you out if you did not receive them, but I guarantee that only those who need it most will be named recipients. In my humble opinion, those forms are evidence of some sort of internal selection process. ANYONE could have typed “I make $8,000 a year” in their initial application, but JKCF needs PROOF that you need this (hence, the financial requests). They wanted my schedules to PROVE I am in fact poor…
Community service is not enough (although I have that too). A recommendation from Obama is not enough guys. A 4.00 GPA with a total family income of $90,000 is most likely not enough (unless your story is highly compelling). JKC was about bridging the gap for academically excellent students who may not normally have been able to attend college. This may offend a few people, but this is not the scholarship for people born with a silver spoon (and once again, the data proves this).
I am not trying to turn people off, but it I truly believe the people who deserve this most will get it. And if I don’t get it, 85 people out there needed it more. That’s just life.
Hey guys, I was just informed that I was selected.as a winner of the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. My advisor ended up contacting them after my several attempts to find out my status since my some of my transfer schools want a decision/deposit.this week
And the madness begins.
@leeminho We will need email transcripts for verification, to satisfy our curiosity, and highten the insanity on this forum. Please provide all available information.
Well…Uh oh …for the rest of us.
And freaking congratulations!!! @leeminho
That is unbelievable!! Yayy !! for you!! You are so lucky and have a great future ahead 
@leeminho just curious, did you receive subsequent the tax and transcript request emails ?
@leeminho Congratulations!!! So awesome! well now that one knows… sure the organization will be under a lot of pressure to release the other winners