Dell Scholars Program Guide.pdf · Round Rock, TX. That's why my uncle ... but are not necessarily “cream of ... • If you are unable to score the application for whatever reason

© 2018 Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. Company confidential

Dell ScholarsReader Training

February 16, 2018


Cohort Selection Timeline

November December January February March April

2/1Semi-Finalists Announced

11/1 1/15 3/9-3/23

4/10New Class Announced

2017 2018

1st PhaseReading

Applications Accepted SampleScoring

3/28-3/31

3rd

Reads

3/8CalibrationWebcast

2/16-2/23

Eligibility Quizzes 39,013

Completed Applications 9,197

Semifinalists 1,274

2018 Cohort:


Ideal Dell ScholarThe type of student we are seeking

Situational Adversity

AcademicPreparedness

Non-Cognitive

Abilities

We want the top 500 students who most embody the confluence of these qualities

The best applications will provide clear examples of all 3 components


Ideal Dell Scholar

• Situational Adversity related to environmental factors

• Academic Preparedness and Determination

• Non Cognitive Qualities that impact success

Dell Scholars have demonstrated their determination to succeed by overcoming significant situational and financial adversity, taking rigorous college prep coursework, leveraging available resources and illustrating a level of growth and maturity to achieve their dreams.


Ideal Scholar: Situational AdversityThe ideal student will have demonstrated perseverance in the face of adversity

The scholar should provide insight into how he or she overcame challenges such as financial hardships, difficult home life or burdensome family situation


Situational Adversity Related to Environmental Factors

• Family income• Aid received (Free and reduced lunch, food stamps,

housing assistance, etc.)

Financial disadvantage

• Education level of parents• Family size• Family history• Adversity overcome

Home & life/Family history

• Level of responsibility in helping family survive• Number of hours during summer and school year on

home responsibilities• Hours worked per week during summer and school

year

Responsibility


Sample Adversity Essay – Speaks to situational challenges and impact on life

Throughout high school I never l ived in a stable home, because my mom and I were constantly getting evicted every year. Sometimes we would even stay in one place for a good year. I was stressed and tired of moving all of the time and I come up through a poor household. It's really just my mother and I. Constantly changing schools all the time can affect a students grades and it affected me in a way. It's not healthy for me and therefore I had to go l ive with my uncle to temporarily help me.

My uncle was more stable that my mom and when I moved in with him I began to do much better in school. I brought my GPA up to a 3.6 on a 4.0 scale. I was able to get involved in extra-curricular activities involving my school much more. I started Stony Point High School's first chess club during my junior year. I never had to worry about being homeless or l iving in a homeless shelter. I got involved with College Forward, which is a program that educates high school students on the college admissions process, ways to get admitted, and test taking strategies for the SAT and ACT.

My uncle gave me a lot of motivation and support for me to do well in school, and sti ll continues to do so. I also got a lot of support from my mother when she was away l iving in a homeless shelter. She couldn't find any where else to l ive here in Round Rock, TX. That's why my uncle let me move in with him.


Ideal Scholar: Academic Preparedness

Students who have taken a college-ready curriculum, but are not necessarily “cream of the crop” (i.e. applicants will typically have a GPA around 3.0)

Prefer to see students who stretched themselves by taking rigorous courses such as AP, IB, and dual enrollment, even though they may not have made high grades.

In short, we prefer evidence of hard work over being intellectually-gifted.


Academic Preparedness and Determination

• Number of honors/AP/IB/Dual College Credit classes• Number of core classes• Challenging coursework and hard work over academically

gifted: not just academic super stars, minimum GPA is 2.4

Academic Rigor

• First level – describes what program does• Second level –describes impact of program/change in

behaviors and attitude to be college ready

Impact of College Readiness Program

• Reasons for attending• Academic goals/ campus fit• Affordability• Situational issues

Logic in College Choices

• Cohesiveness between academic rigor, college choice, college major, post graduation goals and how they have prepared to be successful in college

• Recommendation aligns with application• Evidence student has a logical plan for how he/she will be

successful in accomplishing goals

Connecting the dots to accomplish goals


Sample College Transition Essay – Illustrates challenges student expects to face and the impact of College Readiness Program

Being a first-generation college student, college, in general, wil l be a challenge for me. With no one in my family ever attending a university, this will be a completely new learning experience. During my college years, I know that I wil l have to be employed in order for me to be able to pay for my education. I believe that juggling school, work, and extracurricular activities may be a challenge for me. In order for me to successfully address this challenge, I wil l have to apply all of my time management skil ls that I've developed throughout my life. One thing that I can do is plan ahead for upcoming deadlines and effectively use all of mytime wisely. I wil l take advantage of every opportunity and support given to me such as mentors, tutors, and professors. Lastly, I wil l continue to set goals and work toward completing and surpassing those goals.

I have participated in the AVID program since 9th grade. Transitioning from middle school to high school was very difficult for me and AVID taught me how to properly take Cornell notes, study for quizzes/exams, and keep my binder organized. All three of these skil ls are essential for me to succeed in college, and I wil l apply all of these skil ls while I attend college. If it weren't for AVID, I would have struggled much more in high school. AVID has provided me skil ls essential for my success in my academic career and in l ife.


Scoring DetailsYou will be evaluating 3 components• The application itself• Comments made by recommender• The student’s school transcript

You will rate the student’s responses using this scale

Each of these components will provide the information you need to assess the student in the key categories• Home/Disadvantage (situational adversity)• Academics/College Readiness (academic preparedness)• Maturity, Determination, Problem solving (non-cognitive

abilities)

1 Very Poor

2 Poor

3 Average

4Good

5 Very Good


Scoring Rubric• Recommended criteria to look for when scoring each essay

(but not a checklist)• Based on highest scoring essays in past years


Overall Impression

After you scored each area, you will give an overall impression for the student

Not a Scholar

Definitely a Scholar

Remember to make note of determining factors for your impression


Sample Reads

• Score 4 sample applications• Deadline for completion is 2/23/18

• Scores used for reader calibration training• To be held 3/8/18 at 12pm CT


• Scoring rubric available for each essay

• You can mark applications to ‘review again later’ if you want to review scores one more time.

• You can mark applications that you have concerns with (list the concerns) and want Dell Scholar staff to take a look. NOTE: Staff will not be notified immediately and the review only happens after reading closes. So please make sure you score the application

• If you are unable to score the application for whatever reason please contact Todd

Tool Changes/highlights


• Notepad available to help with note taking as you are reading the application

Tool: Notepad


Questions?

Documents

Dell Scholars Program Guide.pdf · Round Rock, TX. That's why my uncle ... but are not necessarily “cream of ... • If you are unable to score the application for whatever reason