Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is the Wells Scholarship?
2. How can a high school student be considered for the Wells Scholarship?
5.How does a high school get on the list of eligible high schools outside of Indiana?
6. What are the criteria for awarding the scholarship?
7. What is the timeline for the high school nomination process?
8. I've heard something about an Internal Wells Scholarship. How is that awarded?
1. What is the Wells Scholarship?
The Wells Scholarship, which is based solely on merit, provides full tuition, mandatory and course-related fees, and a living stipend for four years of undergraduate study on the Bloomington campus of Indiana University. Scholars may choose to spend one of these years studying abroad through the university's overseas study programs. The Wells Scholars Program emphasizes close interaction with faculty; academic and career mentoring; opportunities for internships, research, and community service; a year-long freshman seminar; and frequent contact with distinguished visitors. Between 18 and 22 incoming freshmen receive the award each year.
2. How can a high school student be considered for the Wells Scholarship?
The student must be nominated. Accredited high schools in Indiana and selected high schools from other states are invited to nominate up to two students from the senior class for the Wells Scholarship.
Schools are encouraged to nominate seniors who have shown exceptional qualities of character and leadership, have been significantly involved in extracurricular activities, have demonstrated a concern for their community, and have excelled in terms of class rank, grade point average, and performance on standardized tests. In the past, successful nominees have typically ranked in the top 5 percent of their class, have compiled a GPA of 3.9 or higher on a 4.0 scale, have scored 1350 or higher on the combined SAT Critical Reading and Mathematics tests or 31 (composite) or higher on the ACT, and have shown a pattern of serious commitment to one or more activities outside of class.
Students interested in being considered for the Wells Scholarship should contact their high school guidance counselors to learn if their schools are eligible to nominate candidates and to gather information on the school's nominee selection procedures.
Students with an outstanding record of accomplishment who are home schooled or who attend a high school that is not eligible to nominate candidates for the Wells Scholarship may be considered for nomination by the IU Bloomington Office of Admissions. (The Office of Admissions is not able to nominate students who attend, or have graduated from, high schools that are eligible to nominate candidates.)
The Office of Admissions will nominate to the Wells Scholarship Committee a small number of candidates from those seeking freshman admission to IU Bloomington for Fall 2009 who are eligible for admission to the IU Hutton Honors College (See http://www.indiana.edu/~iubhonor/ for additional information.) and who have submitted the materials noted below by Monday, September 22, 2008, directly to the IUB Office of Admissions, 300 North Jordan Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405. (These materials should not be sent to the Wells Scholars Program. Doing so could delay or prevent, if the deadline is missed, consideration of a student’s candidacy.)
The following items are required for consideration and must be received by the Office of Admissions by Monday, September 22, 2008:
- Wells Scholarship Nomination Cover Sheet (PDF, 79 KB)
- Completed Application for Admission to IU Bloomington (either online or paper application) with supporting academic documents (official high school transcript, counselor signature, SAT or ACT score results) and application fee (if applying with a paper application)
- Cover letter expressing an interest in being considered for nomination for the Wells Scholarship
- Personal statement describing the student's academic interest(s) (300-500 words)
- One letter of recommendation from a teacher
- An activities resume listing significant extracurricular activities, honors, and/or community involvement
For IU Bloomington freshman admission application materials, visit http://www.admit.indiana.edu/freshmen/apply.shtml.
For the remainder of the calendar of the selection process, see question number 7: What is the timeline for the high school nomination process?
3. If my high school is not eligible to nominate candidates, can I still be considered for the Wells Scholarship?
Students with an outstanding record of accomplishment who are home schooled or who attend a high school that is not eligible to nominate candidates for the Wells Scholarship may be considered for nomination by the IU Bloomington Office of Admissions. (The Office of Admissions is not able to nominate students who attend, or have graduated from, high schools that are eligible to nominate candidates.)
The Office of Admissions will nominate to the Wells Scholarship Committee a small number of candidates from those seeking freshman admission to IU Bloomington for Fall 2009 who are eligible for admission to the IU Hutton Honors College (See http://www.indiana.edu/~iubhonor/ for additional information.) and who have submitted the materials noted below by Monday, September 22, 2008, directly to the IUB Office of Admissions, 300 North Jordan Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405. (These materials should not be sent to the Wells Scholars Program. Doing so could delay or prevent, if the deadline is missed, consideration of a student’s candidacy.)
The following items are required for consideration and must be received by the Office of Admissions by Monday, September 22, 2008:
- Wells Scholarship Nomination Cover Sheet (PDF, 79 KB)
- Completed Application for Admission to IU Bloomington (either online or paper application) with supporting academic documents (official high school transcript, counselor signature, SAT or ACT score results) and application fee (if applying with a paper application)
- Cover letter expressing an interest in being considered for nomination for the Wells Scholarship
- Personal statement describing the student's academic interest(s) (300-500 words)
- One letter of recommendation from a teacher
- An activities resume listing significant extracurricular activities, honors, and/or community involvement
For IU Bloomington freshman admission application materials, visit http://www.admit.indiana.edu/freshmen/apply.shtml.
For the remainder of the calendar of the selection process, see question number 7: What is the timeline for the high school nomination process?
4. How do I find out whether my high school is on the list of eligible high schools outside of Indiana?
You should first check with you guidance counselor. If necessary, you may either call (812-855-9491) or email (wellsprg@indiana.edu) us to inquire.
5. How does a high school outside of Indiana get on the list of high schools eligible to nominate for the Wells?
Although we welcome inquiries from interested schools, we add schools to our nominating list only by invitation.
6. What are the criteria for awarding the scholarship?
Candidates selected for the Wells Scholarship show exceptional qualities of character and leadership. In addition, they have been significantly involved in extracurricular activities, have demonstrated a concern for their community, and have excelled in terms of class rank, grade point average, and performance on standardized tests. In the past, successful nominees have typically ranked in the top 5 percent of their class, have compiled a GPA of 3.9 or higher on a 4.0 scale, have scored 1350 or higher on the SAT or 31 (composite) or higher on the ACT, and have shown a pattern of serious commitment to one or more activities outside of class.
7. What is the timeline for the high school nomination process?
Late August: Nomination packets are mailed to all eligible
high schools.
Early October: Postmark deadline for submitting nominations. (See nomination
packet for exact date.)
Mid-November: Approximately 50 finalists are selected for interviews; all
nominees are notified of their status.
First weekend in December: Required interviews of finalists are held at
IU Bloomington.
Late December: Approximately 25 scholarship offers are made; all finalists
are notified of their status.
April 21: Deadline for accepting Wells Scholarship.
Mid-June: New student advising and registration at IU Bloomington.
8. I've heard something about an Internal Wells Scholarship. How is that awarded?
Each spring, the Wells Scholars Program awards scholarships to one or two sophomores or juniors who are already enrolled at IU Bloomington. In order to be considered for an internal Wells Scholarship, a student must be nominated by an IU Bloomington faculty member and must have completed, at the time of the nomination, at least three semesters of course work as a full-time student on the Bloomington campus. Students may not apply for consideration.
A nominee is normally expected to be among the top 1 percent of students at the university in terms of intellectual ability and scholarly performance. The selection committee will also look for evidence of unusual personal qualities, as indicated by extracurricular activities, community service, research, and/or outstanding talent in some specific field.
Invitations for nominations are sent out to IUB faculty at the end of February. Detailed letters of nomination from faculty should reach the Wells Scholars Program by March 28, 2008. The letter should speak about the nominee's qualities of character and leadership, as well as about the nominee's academic and extracurricular achievements.
Students selected as finalists will be invited for interviews scheduled at the end of April or beginning of May. Results of the competition will be announced later in May.
9. Do I have to apply to Indiana University if I have been nominated by my high school for the Wells Scholarship?
If you have been nominated by your high school, you do not need to apply for admission to Indiana University before being considered for a Wells Scholarship. However, we strongly encourage you to submit your application for admission at the earliest possible date. Doing so will enable you to be considered for other scholarships and opportunities for financial aid at IU Bloomington and to receive information about the wide variety of academic and housing options available. For additional information, including deadlines, visit www.admit.indiana.edu; www.iub.edu.
For IU Bloomington freshman application materials, visit http://www.admit.indiana.edu/freshmen/apply.shtml.
10. If I have been nominated for the Wells Scholarship, do I also have to apply to the Hutton Honors College?
Admission to the Hutton Honors College is by invitation. Please check the HHC Web site for additional information: http://www.indiana.edu/~iubhonor/hds/admissions.php.
