FAQs


Eligibility and Nomination

  • Can I apply without a Nomination?
    No. Students must be nominated by their college counselor or designated school representative. Please check the Selections Timeline for the Nomination deadline.

  • What is the eligibility criteria to be nominated for this Program?
    Students graduating by June of 2025 from a high school located within Los Angeles County, New York City, or Washington, DC are eligible for this Program, provided that they also meet the following criteria:

    • Active participation in community service activities and a record of leadership
    • Financial or other obstacles
    • United States Citizenship or Permanent Residency or who have been granted deferred action status under DACA
    • Admission to a four-year college or university prior to final selection
    • Minimum unweighted GPA of 3.6 or 90 percent
    • SAT superscore minimum of 1350 OR ACT Composite superscore minimum of 29 OR AP exam(s) with minimum score(s) of 3 OR on track to earn IB Diploma OR on track to earn Associate degree by high school graduation
      • Although we follow a test-flexible policy, we are not test-blind. A student may apply with more than one of these, but please note that they will be ineligible if submitted scores don’t meet the thresholds mentioned above.
    • For Washington, D.C., nominees must reside in and be graduating from a high school located in Washington, D.C.

  • I am a student interested in being nominated for this Program, what are my next steps?
    Interested students should reach out to their college counselor or guidance department to indicate interest in being nominated for this Program. Students can only be nominated by their college counselor or designated school representative.

  • I am a counselor or school representative interested in nominating students to this Program, what are my next steps?
    Click here to download instructions on how to register to nominate students for the Class of 2025. 


Application

  • Why haven’t I received the email from SurveyMonkey with the invitation to register and apply?
    Emails with the invitation to apply will be sent to eligible nominees on the date indicated on the Selections Timeline. Applicants should confirm that they are checking the email address that was provided on their nomination form by the nominating counselor or school representative. Please review this article from SurveyMonkey for additional troubleshooting tips: https://help.smapply.io/hc/en-us/articles/360005301174-How-to-Ensure-Emails-Are-Received-from-SurveyMonkey-Apply

  • How should I submit the 2 Letters of Recommendation required for the application?
    Applicants have the option of requesting letters of recommendation through the SurveyMonkey Portal (preferred method) or may upload the letters of recommendation (or a combination of the two). On the application, students will indicate which option they would like to use on the Letters of Recommendation task. Once the task is marked as complete, the student's application task list will update to open additional tasks to allow for the upload or the request depending on what the student selected.

    If requesting a letter of recommendation, the student must provide the Recommender's name and email address. The Recommender will receive an auto-email from SurveyMonkey with an invitation to complete the recommendation.

    Letters of recommendation must be submitted by the application deadline. Applications without letters of recommendation will not be considered complete and cannot be submitted. Due to the volume of applications received each year, we are unable to grant extensions.  
  • How do I know if my application is complete?
    A green checkmark will appear next to each task that has been marked as complete. Applicants will be unable to submit their application unless all tasks are marked as complete.

  • Are test scores required for the scholarship application?
    The 2025 Selection Cycle is Test-Flexible. One of the following is required to be eligible to apply. Due to the Scholarship pillar of the Milken Scholars Program, more evidence of academic achievement is encouraged:

    1. SAT superscore minimum of 1350
    2. ACT Composite superscore minimum 29
    3. AP exam(s) with minimum score(s) of 3
    4. On track to earn IB Diploma
    5. On track to earn Associate degree by high school graduation

Next Steps

  • I submitted my application. What happens next?
    All submitted applications will be carefully reviewed. Applicants will be notified of their application status by the date indicated on the Selections Timeline.

  • How many scholarship recipients will be selected this year?
    The number of Scholars selected each year varies. 

 

Additional questions? Please email: milkenscholars@milkeninstitute.org