The Manjie Sikdar Scholarship Application 2020-2021

***PLEASE NOTE:  THIS APPLICATION IS FROM 2020-2021 AND IS CURRENTLY CLOSED.
VISIT CHICAGOSCHOLARS.ORG/SCHOLARSHIPS/ FOR ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS INFORMATION AND UPDATED APPLICATION LINKS.***

In Memory of Manjie Sikdar
Born January 24, 1981 in Ellis Hospital, Schenectady, New York
Died December 15, 1984 in Salt Lake City Children's Hospital

Manjie Sikdar was the first daughter of Subhas and Ruma Sikdar.  Born with Down Syndrome and three holes in her heart, she barely had a chance at life.  Despite the love and dedication to recovery her family provided, she died just before her 4th birthday.

She is survived by her loving parents and two younger siblings.  Ronjan and Reena Sikdar have felt Manjie's presence throughout their lives, despite having virtually no memory of her.  Manjie's life may have been cut tragically short, but we are hopeful that her love and dedication can help others flourish.  By creating this scholarship, we hope to bring opportunity to an individual who exhibits the ideals that Manjie's family has always believed in:  hard work, passion, and commitment.

The Scholarship
The Manjie Sikdar Scholarship is a family-funded scholarship that will provide $2,000 a year for up to four years of college ($8,000 total) to one winner attending any public or private four-year university.  This money is to be put toward educational expenses.

For more information, please visit:
www.manjie.org
The Application Process
ELIGIBILITY and REQUIREMENTS
  • Participant in the Chicago Scholars program
  • Graduating high school senior
  • GPA of 2.5 or higher
    • Commitment and effort in education are incredibly important to future success.  The Manjie Sikdar Scholarship requires that all applicants have a 2.5 or higher unweighted GPA.  If you have earned a 3.0+ for the past two semesters but do not have a cumulative 2.5 GPA, you may still be considered.
  • Commitment to performing arts
    • The founders of The Manjie Sikdar Scholarship have each been engaged in performance from a young age, and are looking for a candidate with similar interests.  The Scholarship requires that all applicants demonstrate commitment to some aspect of the performing arts.
  • Continued engagement
    • The scholarship is family-run, and the founders have a great interest in ensuring that they can help the recipient throughout the course of their college career and beyond.  Therefore, the recipient is required to complete at least two check-in calls a year with a Chicago Scholars staff member throughout college, and to stay engaged with both Chicago Scholars and the Sikdar family, as appropriate.

AWARD
  • $2,000/year for 4 years

DEADLINE
  • The deadline to apply for the scholarship is Monday, April 5th 2021 by 11:59 p.m. CST.  

APPLICATION PROCESS

Complete the attached application by April 5, 2021 including:
  • General background information
  • High school transcript (including 1st semester senior grades)
  • (optional) SAT/ACT scores (unofficial copies are acceptable)
  • Information about academic achievements/extracurriculars/work experience or (optional) resume
  • Two essays in response to the prompts included in the application
  • One letter of recommendation from the student's counselor, principal, teacher, mentor, or current employer who can speak to the student's character, either inside or outside of the classroom
  • Audition material or sample of performing arts talent

INTERVIEW PROCESS

Applicants may be contacted after submitting scholarship application to arrange for a virtual interview.


SELECTION

Applicants will be notified of their status by April 30, 2021, with a request for an interview if accepted into the second round.  The student selected for the scholarship will be notified by May 15, 2021.  

Before you begin the application:

 

Please ensure that you have all of the following materials available to you and ready to upload.  You will NOT be able to save and resume your work on the application, so you will need to submit in one sitting.

 

  • Transcript (including first-semester senior year grades)
  • (optional) SAT/ACT scores (unofficial copies are acceptable)
  • Information about academic achievements/extracurriculars/work experience or (optional) resume to upload
  • Letter of recommendation from a counselor, principal, teacher, mentor, or employer.  If your recommenders would feel more comfortable emailing their letters directly to Chicago Scholars, they may email them to Megan Kerber at mkerber@chicagoscholars.org with the subject line:  "Sikdar Scholarship recommendation--[applicant name]."
  • Two essays in response to the following questions:
    1. The Manjie Sikdar Scholarship requires that every applicant have a background in performing arts.  In no more than two pages double-spaced, please explain what the performing arts have meant to your life.
    2. In 250 words or less, please discuss a moment in your life that shaped you into the person you are today.
  • Audition material
    • Because we emphasize a love for the performing arts, the Manjie Sikdar Scholarship Committee requests a sample of your talent.  This does not need to be done specifically for the scholarship - a previously taped performance, a recorded vocal, a YouTube video, a rehearsal mp3 - anything is acceptable.

General Background Information












School and Program Information














Academic Achievements / Extracurriculars / Work Experience

OPTION:  In place of this section, you may instead choose to include the academic, extracurricular, work, and other information below on an updated resume, which you will have the option to upload on page 5 of this application.  In that case, write "see attached resume" in the boxes below.



List part/full-time jobs, extracurriculars, volunteer projects, and/or internships since freshman year of high school.  You may add additional opportunities.  Click the "Add another response" link to add each additional activity.





Student Essays


The topic should be clearly written before each response.
  1. The Manjie Sikdar Scholarship requires that every applicant have a background in performing arts.  In no more than two pages double-spaced, please explain what the performing arts have meant to your life.
  2. In 250 words or less, please discuss a moment in your life that shaped you into the person you are today.

Only Word or PDF documents will be accepted.

Only Word or PDF documents will be accepted.

Required Documents

Upload your transcript, letter of recommendation, and performing art example below. 
  • Reminder: You must share your 1st semester senior grades with this transcript.
  • The letter of recommendation can come from a counselor, principal, teacher, mentor, or employer who can speak to your character, either inside or outside of the classroom.  
  • If your recommender would feel more comfortable emailing their letters directly to Chicago Scholars, they may email them to Megan Kerber at mkerber@chicagoscholars.org with the subject line:  "Sikdar Scholarship recommendation--[applicant name]."  In this case, the applicant must upload a document in the space below stating:  "My letter of recommendation is being emailed to Megan Kerber from [recommender name]."
  • If possible, please upload performing arts video externally and share link in the space below.  If unable to do so, please submit material electronically to mkerber@chicagoscholars.org with the subject line:  "Sikdar Scholarship performing arts sample--[applicant name]"



Share link to performance here. If unable to do so, please write "sent via email" and follow email instructions above.


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Contact Information