Scholarships for Continuing Students
Each year, Wake Forest University awards merit-based scholarships to current students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement. The Wake Forest Scholars Office manages two of these opportunities: the Stamps Scholarship and the Mullen Carswell Scholarship.
The Continuing Student Scholarship Application automatically puts you in consideration for both the Stamps and Mullen Carswell Scholarships.
Start your application today!
Deadline: October 1, 2025 at 5:00:00 PM ET
Experiencing issues with the InfoReady Application portal? Check out our InfoReady guide for help!
Stamps Scholarship for Continuing Students
The Stamps Scholarship is a prestigious award that recognizes exceptional Wake Forest students who demonstrate outstanding intellectual potential, leadership, and community engagement.
Eligibility & Selection
- Applicants must have completed at least one year of coursework at Wake Forest.
- The Committee on Scholarships and Student Aid, in collaboration with the Stamps Scholars Program, will nominate a limited number of current students.
- Selected candidates must participate in two interviews: one on-campus at WFU and another with the Stamps Foundation interview team.
Benefits for Stamps Scholars
- Full standard cost of attendance funding starting in the spring semester
- Eligibility for up to $5,000 in merit grant funding each summer to support valuable educational research
- Renewable through the fourth year of undergraduate study
- Membership in a global network of approximately 1,000 Stamps Scholars
Mullen Carswell Scholarship for Continuing Students
The Committee on Scholarships and Student Aid annually selects up to ten outstanding students as Thomas E. and Ruth Mullen Scholars through the Carswell Scholarship Program.
Eligibility & Selection
- Applicants must have completed at least one year of coursework at Wake Forest.
- Up to ten students are selected each year.
Benefits for Mullen/Carswell Scholars
- Up to $1,500 scholarship per academic year (dependent on your existing financial aid package)
- Eligibility for up to $5,000 in merit grant funding each summer to support valuable educational research
- Renewable through the fourth year of undergraduate study
What the Committee Looks For
When evaluating applications, the Committee on Scholarships and Student Aid seeks students who have demonstrated excellence in at least one of the following areas:
- Intellectual promise – Academic achievements, research involvement, creative projects
- Leadership potential – Campus roles, initiative in organizations, innovative problem-solving
- Contributions to their community – Service activities, volunteer work, positive campus impact
You do not need to excel in all three areas. The Committee values students with distinctive strengths and diverse interests, and recognizes that excellence takes many forms.
Required Application Materials
Applications will open in early May. All applicants will be considered for both the Stamps Scholarship and the Mullen Carswell Scholarship.
Required Documents:
- Current Resume
- Personal Statement Essay
- Maximum 3,000 characters
- Short Answer Questions
- Select 2 of the 3 questions provided
- Maximum 1,500 characters each
- 2 Letters of Recommendation
- At least one must be from a Wake Forest faculty member
- Recommenders will receive automatic email instructions
- Deadline: October 3 at 5:00:00 PM ET
- Current Unofficial Wake Forest Transcript
- Option 1: Order through the University Registrar
- Option 2: Access through Workday and save as a PDF
Steps in the Process
- Submit online application by October 1, 2025
- Application portal closes precisely at 5:00:00 PM ET (seconds matter!)
- You can save your application as a draft and return to it later
- Recommendation requests can be sent before finalizing your application
- Notifications: Late October
- All students will be informed whether or not they are invited to interview
- Interview stage: Early-mid November 2025
- Selected finalists will interview with the Committee on Scholarships and Student Aid
- Students studying abroad can complete interviews via Zoom
- Notification of results: Late November 2025
- All finalists will be notified of decisions
- Stamps Scholarship additional interview: December 2025
- Students nominated for the Stamps Scholarship will interview with the Stamps Foundation team
- Your application materials will be shared with their interview committee if selected
Application Guidance
Strong applications demonstrate thoughtful reflection and attention to detail. For your best chance at success:
- Start early – Begin gathering materials as soon as applications open in May
- You can save your application as a draft and return to it later
- Be sure to update your application with your summer experiences before you submit in the fall
- Be authentic – Highlight your unique strengths and genuine interests
- Seek feedback – Have professors or advisors review your essays
- Follow instructions carefully – Pay attention to character limits and requirements
- Prepare recommenders – Give them ample time and context about these scholarships
- Recommendation requests can be sent before finalizing your application
- View a sample application
Requirements
- Maximum 3,000 characters
- Focus on your most significant learning experience at Wake Forest
Essay Prompt
Reflect on the most important lesson you have learned during your time at Wake Forest.
Consider:
- What was this key insight or lesson?
- Where did it come from? (coursework, extracurricular activities, personal experiences, etc.)
- How did it change your thinking or perspective?
- How has it shaped your intellectual journey?
- How will you apply this lesson during your remaining time at Wake Forest and beyond?
Why This Matters
The Personal Statement Essay gives the Committee on Scholarship and Student Aid insight into what makes you unique as a Wake Forest student. This is your opportunity to share meaningful growth experiences that have shaped your academic journey and future aspirations.
Tips for an Authentic Essay
- Be genuine rather than writing what you think the Committee wants to hear
- Share something you were genuinely excited about learning
- Focus on depth rather than breadth
- Show both reflection and forward-thinking application
- Consider how your lesson demonstrates your values or character
- Connect your experience to broader implications for your future
Resources
Requirements
- Select 2 out of 3 questions to answer
- Maximum 1,500 characters per response
- Responses should be unique from your Personal Statement Essay and resume content
Why This Matters
These questions give you an opportunity to share more about your perspectives, experiences, and thought processes as a Wake Forest community member. We’re looking for authentic reflections that reveal aspects of yourself not covered elsewhere in your application.
Question Options
- Option 1: Influential Art or Culture
- Tell us about a piece of art or culture that you encountered during your undergraduate career that made a significant impact on you. This could be a book, movie, piece of music, poem, painting, sculpture, or something else. Whether you discovered it in class or on your own, explain why it resonated with you and how it has influenced your perspective, studies, or future goals
- Option 2: Meaningful Accomplishment
- Describe an accomplishment from your time in college that you are proud of. This can be something big or small—what matters most is why it’s meaningful to you. If it relates to something on your resume, don’t just summarize what you did; instead, focus on the deeper impact it had on you and your development (whether that’s intellectual or personal development is up to you!).
- Option 3: Growth and Reflection
- Reflect on a situation, experience, or assignment from your time at Wake Forest that you would approach differently if you encountered it now. Why does this moment stand out to you? What have you learned since then that would change your approach, and how does this growth shape your academic and future pursuits?
Tips for Strong Responses
- Be specific and provide concrete examples
- Focus on depth rather than breadth
- Highlight your growth and self-awareness
- Connect your experiences to larger insights or values
- Edit carefully to make the most of the character limit
Resources
What to Include
- Comprehensive activities list – Include all relevant on- and off-campus involvement:
- Academic research and projects
- Campus clubs and organizations
- Community service and volunteer work
- Leadership positions
- Work experience
- Awards and honors
- Quantify your accomplishments – Use specific numbers where possible:
- “Tutored 8 students biweekly throughout the semester”
- “Organized campus event with 150+ attendees”
- “Raised $3,000 for local nonprofit”
- Format requirements:
- Maximum 2 pages
- Submit as PDF or Word document
Why This Matters
Your resume provides the Committee with a comprehensive view of your campus involvement and achievements. It helps us understand your experiences, responsibilities, and the impact you’ve made.
Optional “Bonus Section”
We encourage you to include an optional “Bonus Section” on your resume that showcases something unique about you that wouldn’t typically appear on a standard resume.
This section gives you space to highlight personal achievements, special interests, or distinctive qualities that help the Committee understand you better. While unconventional, this addition allows your personality to shine through!
Bonus Section Examples
- Regional Expertise
- Your favorite hiking trails in North Carolina
- Hidden gems in your hometown
- Places you’ve explored during study abroad
- Quirky Achievements
- Spelling “quixotry” in Scrabble to win a championship
- Family chess champion for three consecutive years
- Perfected your grandmother’s secret recipe
- Amateur Passions
- Bird watching (30+ species identified)
- Amateur entomology collection
- Expertise on a specific historical period
- Knowledge of international cinema
These are just examples—be creative and authentic in showcasing what makes you unique!
Resources
What We Require
- Two recommendation letters total
- At least one letter must come from a Wake Forest faculty member
- The second letter may come from someone who can speak to your qualifications:
- Staff members or advisors from university organizations
- Supervisors or mentors from internships/volunteer positions
- Research lab postdocs or scientists
- Additional faculty members
- Letters cannot come from friends or family members
Why Letters Matter
Recommendation letters provide the Committee with valuable insights into your academic abilities, character, and contributions that help contextualize your entire application.
Helpful Tips
- Choose quality over prestige – Select recommenders who know you well and can specifically address your abilities as a scholar or community member, rather than someone with an impressive title but limited knowledge of your work.
- Request early – Give recommenders at least four weeks’ notice. Provide them with your resume and a brief overview of the scholarship opportunity.
- Submission process:
- Recommenders will receive an automated email with a unique submission link
- You can trigger these emails in two ways:
- Automatically when you submit your completed application
- Manually by clicking “Send Reference Letter Request” in your saved draft
- We strongly recommend enabling email notifications and reminders
- Follow up politely – Notify recommenders after sending the request and suggest checking spam folders if they don’t receive the email.
- Deadline: October 3, 5:00:00 PM ET – All recommendation letters must be submitted by this time.