UIUC - Jonathan Baldwin Turner Scholarship program
Jonathan Baldwin Turner Scholarship Program
Thomas Poole, JBT Scholar
Since 1979 the College of ACES has awarded Jonathan Baldwin Turner (JBT) Scholarships to outstanding incoming freshmen. Awarded solely on the basis of leadership, good citizenship, and scholarly achievement, these merit-based scholarships are open to outstanding individuals enrolling in the diversity of programs offered within the College of ACES. The JBT program is funded by private donations to ACES. The JBT program has a rich history, and we look forward to many years of recognizing future JBT scholars.
Value and renewal criteria
Jonathan Baldwin Turner Scholarships are renewable and have a potential value of $10,000 over four years. A $2,500 scholarship is awarded for the student’s freshman year in the University of Illinois College of ACES. The remainder will be awarded in three $2,500 increments during the student’s sophomore, junior, and senior years, provided the student remains enrolled in the College of ACES and maintains a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.4 (A= 4.0).
Application qualifications
Students with a composite ACT score of at least 29 or a class ranking in the upper 10 percent at the end of their junior year of high school are invited to apply for this scholarship. Applicants will be required to participate in an interview. Most interviews are held on campus during the fall or early portion of the spring semester; additional interviews may be conducted at select off-campus locations.
Application period
The JBT application for upcoming high school seniors will be available from September 1, 2016 - January 15, 2017.
The entire application is contained on a single web page.
We recommend that you complete the entire College of ACES Scholarship application in one session. You may wish to preview the essay questions, then prepare your answers in a word document and cut and paste the answers into the application.
If you want to partially complete the application and finish it at a later date, please note that you must click on the "submit" button at the bottom of the application (there is no "save" button). The application will prompt you for the items you have not yet entered, but at this point you can close the window. Your responses will be saved FOR ONE WEEK. Your responses should reappear the next time you access the application, as long as you are using the same computer and browser.
The JBT application essays ask you to reflect on your academic goals and future plans, similar to the University of Illinois admissions application essays. As such, we are comfortable with you reusing aspects of your original application essays within the JBT application, along with additional reflections, if you believe your original essays to be the best representation of your thoughts.
JBT Scholarship Interview
An in-person interview is a required part of the selection process for this scholarship. Interviews last approximately 30 minutes, and involve a team of three to four individuals usually comprised of a combination of current JBT Scholars, faculty members, staff members or ACES alumni.
Interviews are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, and are subject to availabilty on a given date. However, we will do our best to accommodate your first preference for an interview date, and will be in touch as soon as we are able to confirm the date for your interview. Specific times and additional details about the interview will be provided no later than one week prior to your interview date.
Most of the interviews will be conducted in the ACES Library, Alumni and Information Center on campus. In addition, there will be least one day of interviews held in the Chicago area. Locations are noted in the schedule below.
When selecting an interview date, please keep in mind that you will receive a decision with regard to your JBT scholarship status by December 23, 2016 if you:
Completed your University of Illinois application for admission by the early action deadline of November 1, 2016.
Receive your admission decision on December 16, 2016.
Interview for the JBT scholarship on one of the December dates listed below.
Interview Schedule
December 5 (BIS Facility in Naperville)
December 9 (ACES Library on campus)
(Students who interview in January will receive a scholarship decision by February 10)
January 11 (Elgin Public Library in Elgin)
January 19 (Cook County Extension Main Office)
January 24 (ACES Library on campus)
For non-residents of Illinois, Skype interviews are available upon request (contact Assistant Dean Jason Emmert to request a Skype interview)
Contact Information
For more information about the JBT Scholarship program, please contact Assistant Dean Jason Emmert in the ACES Student Development and Career Services Office, 217-244-7968.
