Promoting leadership among Zoroastrian youth
in academia, public life, and the arts
Vakhshoori Scholarships 2019-2020
The Vakhshoori Foundation invites young Zoroastrians to apply for scholarships for the academic year of 2019-2020. The awards range between $1,000 and $10,000. We look forward to receiving your application for the coming year.
Eligibility
The applicant must be a young Zoroastrian enrolled in or accepted to an accredited institution of higher learning. If s/he is already enrolled, s/he must provide a tuition statement for the fall semester; if accepted but not yet enrolled, s/he must provide an acceptance letter. Candidates of diverse nationalities are welcomed to apply. All completed applications must be emailed by July 15, 2019. For specific questions, please contact Koorosh Vakhshoori at .
Format
This year, we are going paperless. Please insert your answers to Sections A through D directly into the form. Do not change the formatting or number of pages. For Section E, please read through the questions on page 6, and then skip ahead to page 7 to complete your answer(s).
Please email your application as well as supporting materials to:
Please send all your materials (except recommendation letters and transcripts) together so they can be better tracked.
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Application Checklist
1.The application form, including all attachments.
2.Supplemental materials such as academic articles or artwork should be scanned and emailed. For video and audio items, you may post them on YouTube as unlisted and email it's URL.
3.An official transcript from the school you most recently attended. Either ask the school to email the transcript or you scan it and email it. If your transcript does not reflect your abilities, please explain why in your response to Question 12.
4.Three reference letters. At least two should address your academic progress and prospects. At least one should address your Zoroastrian community activities and involvements. Recommenders should write us directly from their institutional email addresses. If they do not have an institutional email address, they may send us a scanned, signed letter on institutional letterhead instead. In the subject line, they should specify: “Recommendation for [name of candidate].” Letters should be addressed directly to the Vakhshoori Scholarship Committee. Copies of recommendations for other scholarships or programs will not be considered.
Please note, all materials should be in English or English translations provided.
Selection Information
Finalists may be invited for a phone interview. Results will be announced in late fall 2019. Award-winners will be asked to create short written biographies and informal video self-portraits which will be available at Important note: the awards will be directly distributed to the award winners’ colleges or universities.
VAKHSHOORI SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
NOTE: Click on a highlighted field to enter information. To check boxes, click once to check and again to uncheck.
Section A:Personal Information
1) Contact Information
Full Name:Permanent Street Address:
City/State/ZIP:
Mailing Address
(if different):
City/State/ZIP:
E-mail Address:
Daytime Phone: / ( ) -
Evening Phone: / ( ) -
2) The following information is optional, but helps ensure that scholarships reflect the diversity in our community:
Age:Gender: / Female / Male / Other
3) How did you learn about these scholarships? (Please check all that apply.)
Word of Mouth / Email: / Online Site:Organization: / Event: / Other:
Section B: Scholarship Criteria
4) Please check and complete all boxes that apply to help us determine your eligibility.
I am a Zoroastrian.I am currently enrolled at
I have been accepted to
Section C: Educational Background
5) Please mark the highest year of education completed for each category.
High School1112
College/University13141516 Postgraduate Work
6) Please provide information about each high school, college/university, or other educational institutions you have attended.
School NameCity, State / No.
Years / Expected
Graduation/
Degree Date / Type of
Degree/
Certificate / Major/
Course of Study
7) Please check ONE of the two following boxes indicating the status of your transcripts.
A copy of the transcript from my most recent institution is enclosed.
My most recent institution is sending my transcript directly to you.
8) If you believe that your transcript does not effectively represent your abilities and qualifications, please check the following box and complete Question 12.
My transcript does not effectively represent my abilities and qualifications. Please see my response to Question 12.
Section D: Educational and Career Goals
Your responses must fit within the space provided.
9) Please detail your educational goals. Be as specific as possible.
10) Please explain how your educational goals fit in with your long-term career and/or personal goals. Again, be as specific as possible.
Section E: Personal Statement and Optional Clarification
The following is a critical part of your application.
Instructions:
Please respond to Your responses must be single-spaced using a 12-point Times font. Please pay close attention to the word limit for the response. Exceeding the word limit will negatively impact the overall evaluation of your application.
11) Personal Statement (No more than 500 words)
Please describe yourself and why you should be awarded a scholarship. Remember to be as specific as possible. What sets you apart? Criteria for selection include your record of excellence in scholarly and personal endeavors, your demonstrated commitment to the Zoroastrian community and ideals, and your plans for the future. Evidence of financial need is welcomed. Refer to supplemental materials you are providing, if any.
12) Optional Clarification (No more than 300 words)
If you indicated earlier that your transcript does not reflect your ability, please explain why you can still succeed in your educational plans.
Answers to Questions 11 (and 12)
Section F: Personal Pledge to the Zoroastrian community
Instructions:
We ask candidates for the Vakhshoori scholarship to put forward a proposal for serving your local Zoroastrian community or more broadly, the community at large. As a young leader, we expect you to play an active role as a mentor, leader, and facilitator in our community. We understand that your primary focus short term is to complete your higher education, but we expect your proposal to provide a long term plan of action past your graduation. We also request that at the end of the scholarship year, all scholarship recipients provide a report on their progress toward both their academic and service goals. Here are some ideas:
a) Mentorship: Guide a few Zoroastrian youths in their career or education; the Vakhshoori Foundation will introduce you to potential candidates.
b) Leadership: Identify a leadership position in a local/global Zoroastrian organization or activity and take charge.
c) Help the Vakhshoori Foundation with ideas or projects for growth
d) Alternative suggestions are encouraged.
Please write a paragraph detailing your proposal.
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