Donaghey Scholars Program

Scholarship Sponsored by University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Overview and Eligibility

The Donaghey Scholars Honors Program requires applicants to be admitted to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Below are the steps and requirements to be considered for the Scholars Program, important deadlines, essay prompts, and information about interviews and selection.

How to apply

1. Submit an online application for admission to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. After your admission is processed, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will assign you a Student ID number.
2. Request that official ACT or SAT scores be sent directly to UA Little Rock.
3. Arrange for official high school transcripts — and college transcripts, if applicable — to be sent to UA Little Rock.
4. Fill out the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program General Data sheet.
5. Once you have been admitted to UA Little Rock, complete the general financial aid application through ScholarshipUniverse.
6. Eligible applicants will receive an invitation to provide the Donaghey Scholars application materials via ScholarshipUniverse. ScholarshipUniverse will give directions for uploading your essays and letters of recommendation. We strongly recommend that your recommenders be teachers.

If you have questions, email [email protected] or call 501-916-3389.

Deadlines

- Priority consideration: January 15
- Final application deadline: February 15

Essay requirements

Applicants are asked to submit one long essay and two shorter essays. If you are later invited to interview, you should expect questions that expand on your submitted essays — avoid writing about topics you would not want to discuss in an interview.

1. Choose one of the Donaghey Scholars core values — Curiosity, Interdisciplinarity, Engagement, or Responsibility — and explain, in your own terms, what that value means to you. Then give a personal example that demonstrates how you embody that value. (~350 words)
2. If you had a summer to study anything unrelated to your intended career, what would you learn and why? If money were no object, describe what you would do. (~350 words)
3. Take a controversial topic you care deeply about and defend your position in up to 800 words. Acknowledge the opposing viewpoint and support your argument with citations. (Note: your bibliography does not count toward the word limit.)

Submission of materials and recommendations

Invitation to submit full Donaghey application materials will come through ScholarshipUniverse. Follow the instructions there to upload your essays and letters of recommendation. We strongly encourage letters from teachers.

Interview process

Starting in late January, the program schedules interviews for the most competitive applicants. Each interview is conducted by a three-person panel: the Director of the Scholars Program, a faculty or alumni member of the Policy Council, and a Student Committee representative. Interviews generally last about 45 minutes. Most are held in person at the UA Little Rock campus; virtual interviews can be arranged if travel would impose an undue hardship.

Selection and notification

In March the admissions committee completes its review and determines which applicants will be offered admission to the Program. Decisions are made holistically and take into account academic record, test scores, leadership, community service, interest in studying abroad, recommendation letters, submitted essays, and interview performance. Applicants selected for admission will be notified in late March.