Welcome to Gene McDowell
Cultivating the Next Generation of African American Leaders
the Gene McDowell signature scholarship
Introduction Us
ABOUT THE GENE MCDOWELL SIGNATURE SCHOLARSHIP
- Academic Excellence
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Loyalty and Integrity
- Technical and Mechanical Proficiency
- Perseverance and Overcoming Challenges
Take the Next Step Toward Your Future
Empowering Future Leaders in STEM and Beyond
Honoring Excellence Through the Gene McDowell Scholarship
GMSP competitively awards four-year $2,000 scholarships ($500 each year) to the most deserving and qualified high school seniors who exhibit the qualities that Gene McDowell cherished:
Academic Excellence
Technical and Mechanical Proficiency
Intellectual Curiosity
Perseverance and Overcoming Challenges
Loyalty and Integrity
SCHOLARS by Number
GMsp stats
SCHOLARS
GRADUATION RATE
SCHOLARSHIPS
Eligibility Criteria
Are You Ready to Join the Next Generation of Leaders?
Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for the Gene McDowell Scholar Program provided you meet the following requirements:
Academic Excellence
Minimum 3.5 GPA or in the top 10% of their graduating class.
Financial Need
Demonstrated financial need as evidenced by FAFSA submission.
Extracurricular Involvement
Active participation in STEM clubs, robotics teams, aviation programs, debate club, student government, or other relevant extracurricular activities that showcase leadership, service, and advocacy.
Personal Essay
Submit a 500-word essay describing their personal goals, challenges, and how they embody the qualities of intellectual curiosity, technical proficiency, perseverance, and a commitment to overcoming adversity.
Public School Affiliation
Applicants must be graduating seniors from a public high school and planning to attend a public university.
Application Timeline
Key Dates for the Gene McDowell Scholar Program
F. A. Q
Frequently Asked Questions
The Ron Brown Scholar Program benefits from the generous support of numerous donors and partners who provide not only financial support, but also valuable mentoring, internship opportunities and other important investments in Ron Brown Scholars.
The Ron Brown Scholar Program awards 20-25 college scholarships annually in the amount of $40,000 to extraordinary African American high school seniors. Students must attend a four-year accredited college or university within the United States. Since 1996, the Program has awarded more than 650 scholarships.
Yes, financial assistance is provided only for undergraduate education. However, the Ron Brown Scholar Program strongly supports creating life-long bonds with and between the Scholars and the Program staff. Scholars do continue to receive mentorship and guidance toward personal and professional goals far beyond their undergraduate careers.
Students must be current high school seniors at the time of their application. The Ron Brown Scholar Program has a final deadline of December 1st.
We begin accepting applications after September 3rd of your senior year in high school. There is no advantage in sending your application early for the scholarship competition as all applicants are considered equally regardless of submission date.
All transcripts and letters of recommendation should be submitted by the deadline of December 15th. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Your counselors or teachers will not be asked to submit their supporting documents until AFTER you submit your application. So, we encourage you to complete your application early to give these individuals ample time to submit their documents. All letters of recommendation should be submitted electronically through the online application process.
We ask for two letters of recommendation. At least one of these should be written by your high school counselor, teacher or principal. The second letter may be submitted by someone who knows you well and can attest to your character, leadership ability, commitment to community service, and/or academic achievement. This may include an employer, mentor or coach. It cannot be your mother, father, guardian or a family member.
Due to the national trend to test optional, we do not require either SAT (Verbal and Math) or ACT (composite) scores. Results of AP/IB exams are optional as well. If you have taken these exams and have scores to report, you should submit those scores on your application.
Because we do not require SAT/ACT test scores, there are no minimum requirements. Because the scholarship is competitive, successful applicants have demonstrated a serious commitment to academics. This is reflected in their course selection, high grade point averages, rank in class and test scores.
The application says to submit an essay that I wrote for my college applications. What if my selected college or university did not require any? We require two essays, each approximately 500 words. In the first essay, we ask that you answer a specific question. The second essay can be on any topic. If you haven’t written one for a college application, you may submit an essay that you wrote for one of your classes, or write a new essay. Keep in mind that the essays are an opportunity for you to tell us something about yourself that we cannot learn from your application, transcript or test scores.
F. A. Q
Frequently Asked Questions
The Ron Brown Scholar Program benefits from the generous support of numerous donors and partners who provide not only financial support, but also valuable mentoring, internship opportunities and other important investments in Ron Brown Scholars.
The Ron Brown Scholar Program awards 20-25 college scholarships annually in the amount of $40,000 to extraordinary African American high school seniors. Students must attend a four-year accredited college or university within the United States. Since 1996, the Program has awarded more than 650 scholarships.
Yes, financial assistance is provided only for undergraduate education. However, the Ron Brown Scholar Program strongly supports creating life-long bonds with and between the Scholars and the Program staff. Scholars do continue to receive mentorship and guidance toward personal and professional goals far beyond their undergraduate careers.
Students must be current high school seniors at the time of their application. The Ron Brown Scholar Program has a final deadline of December 1st.
We begin accepting applications after September 3rd of your senior year in high school. There is no advantage in sending your application early for the scholarship competition as all applicants are considered equally regardless of submission date.
All transcripts and letters of recommendation should be submitted by the deadline of December 15th. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Your counselors or teachers will not be asked to submit their supporting documents until AFTER you submit your application. So, we encourage you to complete your application early to give these individuals ample time to submit their documents. All letters of recommendation should be submitted electronically through the online application process.
We ask for two letters of recommendation. At least one of these should be written by your high school counselor, teacher or principal. The second letter may be submitted by someone who knows you well and can attest to your character, leadership ability, commitment to community service, and/or academic achievement. This may include an employer, mentor or coach. It cannot be your mother, father, guardian or a family member.
Due to the national trend to test optional, we do not require either SAT (Verbal and Math) or ACT (composite) scores. Results of AP/IB exams are optional as well. If you have taken these exams and have scores to report, you should submit those scores on your application.
Because we do not require SAT/ACT test scores, there are no minimum requirements. Because the scholarship is competitive, successful applicants have demonstrated a serious commitment to academics. This is reflected in their course selection, high grade point averages, rank in class and test scores.
The application says to submit an essay that I wrote for my college applications. What if my selected college or university did not require any? We require two essays, each approximately 500 words. In the first essay, we ask that you answer a specific question. The second essay can be on any topic. If you haven’t written one for a college application, you may submit an essay that you wrote for one of your classes, or write a new essay. Keep in mind that the essays are an opportunity for you to tell us something about yourself that we cannot learn from your application, transcript or test scores.