The Fall 2019 Application Window is Now Closed

The Fall 2019 Act Six application is now closed. You can stay updated by following the selection process timeline.2019 APPLICATION NOW CLOSED
Act Six is a leadership development and college scholarship program that brings together diverse, multicultural cadres of emerging urban leaders who want to use their college education to make a difference on campus and in their communities at home. Act Six uses a simple but powerful four-part strategy:
Act Six brings together diverse, multicultural cadres of young people who want to use their college education to make a difference on campus and in their communities at home. Scholars are actively recruited from across the region and chosen through a rigorous, three-phase selection process:
Timeline Details
As illustrated on the graphic timeline above, Act Six scholars are chosen through a rigorous, highly competitive, three-phase selection process that spans four months.
Online Application
Applicants complete an initial online application that includes a basic college admissions application as well as additional essay questions, letters of recommendation, and family financial information. All application materials must be submitted by 11:59 pm on November 5, 2019 .
Phase I
After an initial screening of written application materials, top applicants are notified by email on November 26 and invited to participate as candidates in Phase II.
Phase II
Candidates participate in a local half-day interactive event on December 7 where they demonstrate their academic and leadership potential while working together to address a complex community issue. Candidates learn more about Taylor University. A local community committee considers candidates’ performance on both the written and interactive components to name between 15-20 semifinalists for Taylor. Decisions are emailed on January 9.
Phase III
Semifinalists travel to Taylor for a two-day event between January 24 to February 13. Phase III allows students to experience campus life as they participate in a four-part evaluation process that includes a personal interview, an on-site writing task, academic seminar discussions, and group problem-solving activities. A parent or guardian is invited to participate in a portion of the visit.
Decision
Taylor selects finalists and mails decision letters on February 19. Finalists are given a week to decide and commit to the Act Six program, agreeing to attend the college for which they were selected and to participate fully in the five-month training program. Applicants may withdraw from the process at any time prior to this commitment. The new class of Act Six scholars are formally announced to the public at a community celebration on March 6.
Who Should Apply
Act Six recruits diverse, multicultural cadres of Chicago’s most promising emerging urban and community leaders. The Initiative seeks young people who want to use their college education to make a difference on campus and in their communities at home. Act Six scholars must be:
The selection process also places high value on applicants’:
Applicants must be high school seniors planning to graduate in 2020 or must have previously graduated from high school in 2019 or 2018. Students enrolled at two-year colleges in the region may apply, but students currently enrolled at four-year colleges, including partner colleges, are not eligible to apply.
While ethnicity and family income are considered as factors in selecting an intentionally diverse group of scholars, there are no income restrictions, and students from all ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Selection Criteria
Selecting Act Six scholars is a complex and multi-faceted process that considers many factors. The selection committees use the following questions to guide their evaluation of Act Six applicants. These questions best summarize what we are looking for in Act Six scholars.
Selection Committee
The Act Six Community Selection Committee represent diverse and talented teams of community leaders who work with young people from across our region and from a wide range of backgrounds as well as those working to increase college access in our state. The committees represent the kind of diverse cadre of talented leaders that they are working to select. Members of the selection committee are listed below.
It’s easy to start your online application, and important that you begin the process early to make sure your application is completed by the deadline. There is no application fee, and your completed Act Six application also serves as an application for regular admission at the colleges you select, even if you are not chosen as an Act Six scholar. You can check your eligibility and start your application now and then stop and return to the application whenever you wish.
Confirm Your Eligibility and Start Your App Today
This year’s selection window has closed but you can check back next year to see if you are eligible.
To complete your application, you will need to submit all of the following components by 11:59 pm on November 5, 2019.
Main Application
The first step of the application process is the Main Application form, where you provide detailed demographical, educational and extracurricular information, and indicate to which college(s) you wish to apply. Begin by creating a username and password to start your application. Be sure to complete at least the Getting Started form in your first session. All of your responses are saved once you submit each page, and you can return at a later point to keep working on the application.
Personal Essays
The personal essays are perhaps the most important part of your Act Six application. Therefore you should allow time to carefully consider, thoughtfully compose and thoroughly edit each essay. You will be evaluated on content, mechanics and style.
It is critical that you compose your essays in a separate word processor so you can use spell check and edit carefully. When you have a final product, copy and paste your essays into the online form.
Use plain text only, as no formatting or special characters will be preserved. Insert a blank line between each paragraph. Responses to each question must be no longer than 500 words. This is typically about one page, double-spaced. Use the word count feature of your word processor to check the length, then confirm that the complete essay is pasted into the form.
Please be aware that if you disclose information regarding child abuse, neglect or other harm to minors, readers may be required to report this information to the appropriate authorities.
The following four personal essay questions are required for all Chicago applicants:
Financial Summary
You and your parent(s) must complete the FAFSA at fafsa.ed.gov, starting October 1, to estimate your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) and then submit four important numbers on the online Act Six Financial Summary form.
Because of the nature of the Act Six scholarship commitment and the desire of the program to select an economically diverse cadre, it is important that we have accurate information regarding each applicant’s financial situation. Neither high nor low income levels will make applicants ineligible. However, in order to provide an accurate estimate of the actual Act Six award at the time of selection, it is critical that Act Six, partner colleges and each applicant’s family have an accurate estimate of the applicant’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
The following steps are required to complete the required “Financial Summary” section of the online application:
Official Transcripts and Test Scores
You must request that an official high school transcript and copies of ACT or SAT score reports be sent to Act Six by your high school registrar or counselor. If you have taken college classes, you should also request an official transcript from your college. You provide a name and email address for the registrar or counselor who you want to submit the documents, and an email invitation will be sent to that person, who can then either mail the documents or upload them online.
Scores from the ACT or SAT are required for admission to all partner colleges. Scores you have already received should be reported by your school in the High School Counselor Report form of your online application. If you are applying to any of these schools and your school has not received results by the application deadline, you may still apply for Act Six, but a copy of the exam score report must be received by the Act Six office no later than December 31.
High School Counselor Report
The high school counselor report must be completed by a school counselor who can access your academic records and ACT/SAT test scores as well as school and class GPA information. The applicant provides a name and email address, and an email invitation is sent to the counselor, who must then submit the form online by the application deadline. The following questions are asked on the counselor report:
Teacher Recommendation
The teacher recommendation must be completed online by a teacher who has taught the applicant an academic subject, for example, English, foreign language, math, science, or social studies. The applicant provides a name and email address, and an email invitation is sent to the recommender, who must then submit the form online by the application deadline. The following questions are asked on the teacher recommendation:
Community Recommendation
The community recommendation must be completed online by a mentor, employer, pastor or other adult (possibly at school) familiar with the applicant’s leadership potential and involvement outside of school. The applicant provides a name and email address, and an email invitation is sent to the recommender, who must then submit the form online by the application deadline. The following questions are asked on the community recommendation:
Once selected, Act Six scholars participate in five months of intensive training with their cadre, equipping them to support each other, succeed academically and grow as service-minded leaders and agents of transformation. Starting in March, the cadres meet together weekly to:
In addition to the weekly meetings, the program includes:
After five months of training with their cadre, Act Six scholars begin college ready to engage the campus and community with a built-in support system and a sense of purpose as service-minded leaders and agents of transformation.
Training Themes and Content
Blending practical college success skills, leadership training, self-discovery and cadre team-building, the Act Six training program revolves around the following seven themes:
Act Six sends scholars together to college with the built-in support and encouragement of a cadre of fellow leaders who share a common mission. Act Six is an urban leadership award that offers unparalleled full-tuition, full-need scholarships.
This year, approximately seven Chicago students will be awarded leadership scholarships that cover at minimum the cost of tuition at our partner colleges, worth between $120,000 to $155,000 over four years. Depending on their family’s financial need, most scholars’ awards will also cover some or all of the cost of room and board, books and other expenses. Together, the awards for this year’s class of Chicago Act Six scholars will total more than $3 million.
How the Full-Tuition, Full-Need Scholarships Work
Act Six offers Chicago students with a full-tuition, full-need urban leadership scholarship. Act Six works with colleges and other partners to guarantee that full scholarship recipients receive grants that, at minimum, cover full tuition at the college for four years.
Scholars with need beyond tuition (as determined by the FAFSA) will receive additional grant and work study to fully meet that need. For most scholars, the awards will therefore cover some or all of the cost of room and board, books, travel and personal expenses.
To retain the scholarship, scholars are required to remain active in the program and maintain satisfactory academic progress throughout their undergraduate studies.
Here’s how the full scholarships work:
Because Act Six awards meet full need without loan, scholars can be assured that they are receiving unsurpassed award packages.
Getting to college is just the start of the Act Six experience. Bound together by a shared mission and commitments, scholars learn to encourage and challenge each other while they receive ongoing support from their colleges and Pursue Scholars. After five years together, alumni graduate from college connected to each other and ready to lead in the community. Together, they will create a fabric of leadership that will shape the future of our cities.
Campus Support
On campus, faculty and staff mentors meet regularly with the cadres and with each individual scholar as needed. Mentors provide social support and connect students with campus resources. This support helps scholars thrive academically, but also empowers them to get involved and step out into leadership roles on campus and in the surrounding community.
Back in the neighborhood, Pursue Scholars staff provide additional support, ongoing leadership development and assistance connecting with internships and career opportunities.
Powerful Results
National data show that less than a third of all students from low-income families who start college ever graduate. The data are equally discouraging for students whose parents didn’t attend college and those from most underrepresented ethnic groups.
But the statistics for Act Six scholars in the Pacific Northwest tell a much different story: Since 2002, Act Six has selected and trained 814 scholars from seven cities in 121 cadres for 17 partner colleges. They represent six continents of the world, speak 70 native languages, and represent the very best emerging urban and community leaders that these communities have to offer. While 90% of scholars come from low-income households or are the first in their family to go to college, they are defying the odds with graduation rates of 85%.
And along the way, Act Six scholars and alumni are creating a legacy of distinguished leadership, service and academic achievement on campus and in the community:
We expect to see the same kind of powerful results from Chicago scholars over the coming years.
A Fabric of Leadership
When you think about moments of significant positive change that have happened in your community, you can usually point to a group of connected people who made it happen. Networks of effective leaders working together get things done. The problem is that those leadership networks don’t always look like or represent the full breadth of a community, and as a result, some groups tend to get left behind. For our communities to thrive in the future, we need diverse networks of homegrown leaders who love their home and are committed to building vibrant communities where everyone thrives.
It is precisely this kind of diverse, committed leadership network that Act Six works to produce. In the second decade of Act Six in the Pacific Northwest, with 335 alumni, we are beginning to see the fruits of this fabric of leadership as alumni grow in their responsibility and deepen their connections in the community.
Where did the name "Act Six" come from?
In the sixth act (or chapter) of Luke’s drama about the early followers of Christ (the New Testament’s Book of Acts), we find a church that was confronted with the reality of ethnic inequality in the distribution of a critical resource. How the early church responded to inequality in food distribution can inform how we respond to the clear and disturbing inequality in the distribution of one of today’s most critical resources: education. At the heart of the solution was the selection of a cadre of leaders from the affected minority group that was charged and empowered to work toward a solution. Provided with every resource they needed, this group created a solution that made way for dynamic growth in the church, and in the process produced two of the early church’s most significant leaders. Get the full story in Acts 6:1-7.
Do I have to be a Christian to apply?
Applicants to Taylor are required to sign a statement that affirm their core evangelical Christian commitments and desire to participate in a Christian community with shared lifestyle expectations.
Act Six was born out of the conviction that division and inequity among people saddens God and that the leadership needed to bridge and heal those divisions requires a deep humility and commitment to service. Act Six believes that the Christian faith both demands and makes uniquely possible a bold and authentic reconciliation between people from across God’s creation. Act Six staff operate out of deep Christian commitments—commitments that include genuine respect for those who do not share their convictions.
Regardless of their religious tradition, Act Six scholars should be open to exploring various Christian perspectives on leadership and service and should be aware that a significant portion of the training program will be dedicated to this exploration. In the midst of this exploration, disagreement and differing perspectives are welcomed and engaged.
Do I have to be a U.S. Citizen to apply?
No. U.S. Citizens, Dual-Citizens, and Permanent Residents are eligible to apply for Act Six at Taylor University.
Is Act Six only for students of color? Only for low-income students?
No. The goal of the program is to select an intentionally diverse group of students, both ethnically and economically. While the majority of students selected will likely be students of color, low income, or the first in their families to go to college, White students and students from middle-class families who have experience relating to people from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Selecting students from a range of backgrounds is critical to creating a cadre that will serve as a model of healthy and honest intercultural relationship that is at the heart of racial and economic justice and reconciliation.
Why do I need to provide my family’s financial information?
Because of the nature of the Act Six scholarship commitment and the desire of the program to select an economically diverse cadre, it is important that we have an accurate estimate of applicants’ financial situation. Further, in order to provide a good estimate of the actual Act Six award at the time of selection, it is critical that the program have an accurate estimate of the student’s Expected Family Contribution.
The information provided in the Act Six application process is the same information that colleges will later receive through the FAFSA and gives both Act Six and families an early and reliable estimate of their EFC. All financial information is treated confidentially.
Are there any income requirements?
No. While family income will be considered in choosing an intentionally diverse group of students, neither high nor low income levels will make applicants ineligible.
Do I make any commitment to Taylor just by applying?
No. Applicants make no commitment to the program by submitting a Phase I application or by participating in Phase II or Phase III of the selection process. They may at any time remove themselves from consideration. Students who are selected as finalists will be given several days to accept the the award. If they decide to participate in the program, students are then required to participate fully in the six month training and preparation program throughout the remainder of the year in order to receive the scholarship.
Why is the application deadline so early in the year?
The primary reason for the early application deadline and selection dates is to allow for the six month training and preparation program throughout the rest of the year before the cadre heads off to campus. While the early deadline certainly adds some urgency to the beginning of the year, it also dramatically frees students who are selected from the stress that accompanies the rest of most students’ senior year. By March, scholars who are selected will know where they are going to college and will know that they have the best financial aid possible. Gone is the stress of applications, decisions, and financial worries that typically clouds the spring of senior year. Instead, you’ll be able to focus on preparing to be successful in college and on developing the skills to engage the campus when you arrive.
Another challenge with the timeline is the need for students who are selected to commit to a college before they have heard from all of their other college choices. While this early decision likely will come with a bit of uncertainty, what is certain is that Act Six scholars will be heading to a great liberal arts college with an unbeatable financial aid award, incredible preparation and an unparalleled support system.
What if I won’t have an ACT or SAT score back before the application deadline?
Scores from the ACT or SAT Reasoning are required for admission to all partner colleges. Scores you have already received should be reported by your school in the High School Counselor Report form of your online application. If you are applying to any of these schools and your school has not received results by the application deadline, you may still apply for Act Six, but a copy of the exam score report must be received by the Act Six office no later than December 31.
Is there a minimum GPA?
No. However, Act Six is looking for talented students with strong scholastic potential who are passionate about learning and who will succeed and thrive in challenging academic environments. You can compare the academic profiles of each of the Act Six partner colleges to get a sense of the range of typical students at each school. Students with weaker high school grades must find ways to clearly demonstrate this passion for learning and potential for success.