Why You Should Apply for the Alfie Scholars Program

From financial challenges to feeling like you belong on a university campus, being a transfer student is tough!

We asked some of our scholars to share their advice on how to apply for and succeed in the Alfie Scholars program at Seattle University. Although the application process may seem like a lot of work, the scholars encourage applicants to reach out to others and ask for help from peers, professors, and even our Program Director.

The application essays inspire reflection and a realization that this is so much more than a scholarship. The program provides collaboration and connection with fellow scholars and students, making transferring to a four-year university much easier.

Apply today at alfiescholars.org/apply

Transcript

I didn't plan past getting into Seattle U. It's like I was so focused, I just applied to Seattle U. I knew I wanted to get there. And then once I got the acceptance letter, it was like, okay, now I actually am in Seattle U., how am I going to afford this? And at the time I'd also been laid off my job 'cause of COVID. So it was a huge kind of convergence of, like, this is something I really want to do, but then so many roadblocks to actually be able to do it. And then obviously, the private school connotation, it's always more money, it always feels more exclusive and harder to get through.

Yeah, I actually got help from my friend, she's kind of my senior. And I'm asking her how did she apply for scholarships that she got. And then she gave me her experience, how she applied for the scholarship, and how I should include and exclude from the essay that I wrote. So personal experience, especially give them an example from my personal experience, something like that, rather than googled and stuff, and then just put on everything.

Just from peers, from professors, I definitely felt very welcome, and they were very approachable. And I think that in a new environment, that's all you want – people that are approachable, that are easily reachable, and willing to talk to you about any and every aspect of things that you're interested in. And I think that, along with my peers, like the faculty support and the director of the program, Carol is amazing, and Paula and Scott, just amazing, like the support that they gave just by even being there, by checking in on you, because they knew that we were going through a transition period that was a lot to sort of take in and kind of run with. I appreciate that as well. The support from faculty was amazing.

But then the more I worked on the application, I realized that, oh, I actually care about those things. And it was more towards the goals, the program and not towards the scholarship. I thought it was a great opportunity for me, just to get some financial support as well as actually learn with other peers, especially from same community colleges.

Well, I mean the connections we make about these scholars, I feel like are lifelong because we're also engaging in different activities and processes that you just don't really get an opportunity to do.

I know one thing for me, we didn't get to do it together, but working together as your TA was the hero's journey, which is like a huge… When I think of Seattle University and the parts of my experience at Seattle U. that are going to stick with me, the hero's journey is definitely one of them and the vulnerability that we experienced together. So that when I'm at campus with an Alfie and I pass them, it's like, you know…

You just have that connection, like right out of the gate.

So while I was applying, I feel like I put a lot of effort into it. So I finally found that if I love someone, if I really love something, and I really want to get it, so I'm trying all my best along the way. And I also study it from myself too, because in the application process they are something that I have to read about civility. And I also learn a lot from the process because of that reading that Paula wrote. And I feel like, oh, this is where I should be in like, transferring to the university where I can have a family and everything that by myself.

When I saw the website of Seattle U., like their mission of educating the person to the whole, I really like the idea. I think many public schools might not have those goals or missions. And I was like, oh, it's a very small school. It's a private school. And I could kind of educate myself through this school that has a mission like this. And also that kind of connected to Alfie Scholars Program, which is about social justice. I found it really . . . I had a good feeling about Seattle U before coming here.

And so I think the Alfie Scholars Program, going back to my feeling of belonging, not only has it been a financial support but also helped me understand how to navigate this school and the expectations of this school. And it's made private school, for lack of a better word, feel a little less pretentious, and a little bit more like a place where everyone can belong and find their spot.