FAQs

Las Animas County Goree vs. Princeton Goree

  1. Can I apply for both the Mary John Goree Las Animas County Scholarship and the Mary John Goree Scholarship at Princeton University?   Yes.
  2. Does the Foundation administer and/or select recipients for the Mary John Goree Scholarship at Princeton University? No. Princeton administers the Mary John Goree Scholarship at Princeton and selects its recipients.
  3. How can I get more information on the Mary John Goree Scholarship at Princeton University? Please go to Our Sister Scholarship: The Mary John Goree Scholarship at Princeton University.

Eligibility: Residency

  1. Is there any requirement as to how long an applicant must be a resident of Las Animas County in order to be eligible for the Mary John Goree Las Animas County Scholarship? No. As long as an applicant is a bona fide, legal and actual resident of Las Animas County at the time of the applicant’s selection as a recipient, it doesn’t matter how long the applicant has resided in Las Animas County. However, the Board will strictly scrutinize the residency of applicants who arrive in Las Animas County at or after the beginning of their senior year in high school to ensure that they have indeed satisfied the residency requirement.
  2. Do I have to remain a Las Animas County resident after I have been selected as a recipient in order to retain my scholarship? No. As long as you were a legal, bona fide and actual resident of Las Animas County at the time of your selection, you will not lose your scholarship on account of a change in residence subsequent to your selection.
  3. Do I have to attend high school in Las Animas County in order to be eligible for the Mary John Goree Las Animas County Scholarship? No. Eligibility for the Mary John Goree Las Animas County Scholarship is based strictly upon residence in Las Animas County. The location of a student’s high school is irrelevant for this purpose.
  4. I’m uncertain if I satisfy the residency requirement.  Is there a way that I can determine if I’m eligible?  Yes.  To avoid disappointment and to facilitate planning for financing your education, we invite prospective applicants (including underclass students) and their families to contact us by emailing David Vandermeulen at dvandermeulen@sprynet.com with any questions you may have about your residency status.

Eligibility:  GPA and Standardized Test Scores

  1. For purposes of determining whether a student has established eligibility, do you count grades earned at two-year colleges or four-year colleges? We will count such grades if they appear as concurrent courses on a student’s high school transcript(s). For purposes of determining whether a student has established eligibility, we will not count such grades if they appear solely on a separate two-year college or four-year college transcript. However, for purposes of evaluating the academic performance and future academic promise of eligible applicants, we will look at grades earned in courses listed solely on two-year and four-year college transcripts as well as those for two-year and four-year college courses listed concurrently on the high school transcript(s) if taken no later than the end of the applicant’s 11th grade year.  Please note that for purposes of determining whether a student has established eligibility, we use the student’s unweighted GPA.  Accordingly, we disregard weighting that the student’s high school(s) may use for two-year college courses, honors courses, AP courses, etc.
  2. For purposes of determining whether a student has established eligibility, do you make any adjustments to grades on the high school transcript(s) on account of the difficulty of the curriculum taken or differences in high school grading systems (e.g., whether a high school permits students to earn a 5-point A for certain courses or whether a high school permits or doesn’t permit A+’s to be awarded)? No. Solely for purposes of determining of determining whether a student has established eligibility, we use the student’s unweighted GPA as computed by the student’s high school(s). To take into account possible differences in grading systems or unusual situations, we have made it possible to meet the eligibility requirement through a combination of GPA and ACT or SAT scores. However, for purposes of evaluating the academic performance and future academic promise of eligible applicants, we will take into account the difficulty of the curriculum the student has undertaken and differences in high school grading systems in analyzing a student’s transcript(s).
  3. What advice would you give to high school underclass students with respect to course selection in high school?  A successful applicant’s curriculum will be strong in traditional college-preparatory courses in the core subjects of English, mathematics, foreign language, social studies and science (including biology, physics and chemistry). The Board believes that traditional college-preparatory courses should not be neglected in favor of vocational courses or elective courses outside of the core subjects that are more appropriately taken in college.
  4. What is the Board’s recommendation with respect to pass-fail courses?  Keep pass-fail classes to a minimum. When reviewing transcripts, the Board is assessing the readiness of an applicant to undertake a demanding college curriculum. It is difficult for the Board to be confident that an applicant has the necessary readiness if his/her transcript contains a significant number of pass-fail courses, particularly if those pass-fail courses are in the core subject areas of English, mathematics, social studies, science and foreign language.
  5. If I’ve taken a standardized test (ACT or SAT) more than once, which score do you count or do you average them? For purposes of determining whether an applicant has established eligibility, we will count only the highest ACT composite score and the highest score achieved on each subsection (math and evidence-based reading and writing) of the SAT.
  6. I did better on the SAT than I did on the ACT. Which score will you count in evaluating my application? We will consider only the test in which you placed in the higher percentile, so, for example, if you scored in the 80th percentile on the ACT and in the 90th percentile on the SAT, we will consider only your SAT score.
  7. Your website states that you will consider Advanced Placement test scores. My high school doesn’t offer Advanced Placement courses. Am I at a disadvantage? Taking Advanced Placement courses is one way that a student can take a more demanding academic curriculum and demonstrate future academic promise, but it’s not the only way to do so. Other possibilities include taking dual-enrollment courses at a junior or four-year college or honors classes within your high school.
  8. By the end of my senior year in high school, I expect to have earned enough credits for my Associate’s degree. Can I apply for the Scholarship? As long as you have not enrolled as a full-time student in a two-year or four-year college, you can apply for the Scholarship.

Application Process

  1. What is the timeline for applying for a Mary John Goree Las Animas County Scholarship? The application process for Fall 2023 opens October 13, 2023.  The deadline for a student to submit an application and supporting documents is Wednesday, November 29, 2023, 3:00 p.m. Central; and the deadline for counselors to submit recommendations and supporting documents on behalf of students is Friday, December 1, 2023, 3:00 p.m. Central.  See our Process for a complete list of relevant dates.  Submit an application.
  2. Will I receive any reminders to submit my application?  If you have gone to the application portal and registered, you will receive an email notification 7 days before the deadline if your application has not been submitted.
  3. When will I learn if I’m a finalist and will be asked to interview?   You will be informed of your status by February 12, 2024.  A decision will be made at the time finalists are announced as to whether interviews will be conducted in-person or by Zoom.
  4. How soon after my interview will I learn whether I’ve received a scholarship? Recipient(s) will be announced within two weeks of the interviews. An alternate list may be created.
  5. If I’m offered a Las Animas Goree Scholarship, what is the deadline for accepting the scholarship and when must I inform the Foundation of my college choice? You have until May 2, 2024, to inform the Foundation whether you are accepting the Scholarship. At the same time that you accept the Scholarship, if you are choosing not to remain on any college waitlist(s), you must also inform the Foundation of your college choice.  At the same time that you accept the Scholarship, if you are choosing to remain on a college waitlist(s), you must provide the name(s) of any college(s) where you are remaining on a waitlist(s).  If you choose to remain on a college waitlist(s), you will have until June 22, 2024, to inform the Foundation of your college choice. Regardless of whether you choose to remain on a college waitlist(s), if you are accepting a Scholarship, you have until May 2, 2024, to provide required financial aid documentation if you are seeking a need-based award in addition to your minimum award (see Scholarship Awards). 
  6. If I accept a Las Animas Goree Scholarship, may I defer the scholarship to a later year?  The Foundation will entertain requests for two types of deferrals:  (1) deferrals for reasons of health (of the student or of a family member of the student) and (2) deferrals to permit a student to take advantage of an exceptional professional development opportunity or participate in an exceptional service activity.  All deferrals are in the discretion of the Board.  Students interested in requesting a deferral must contact the President of the Board, David Vandermeulen (dvandermeulen@sprynet.com) as soon as possible, and the President will provide information on the complete process for making the request.  Initial requests must be made directly from a student, not from any third parties, including family members, teachers or academic advisors.

Use of Scholarship Funds

  1. If I’m a Las Animas Goree Scholarship recipient and I receive my bachelor’s degree in three years or less, can I use my scholarship for graduate study? No. Scholarships terminate after four years or a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever comes first.
  2. Do you permit students to transfer their scholarships to a college or university other than the one in which they originally enrolled?  We permit transfers under certain circumstances in compliance with procedural requirements set by the Foundation.  For more details, please see Transfers Policy under Current Scholars.
  3. Can scholarship funds be used for study abroad?  Scholarship funds may be used for study abroad under certain circumstances and with the prior approval of the Foundation board.  For more details see Study Abroad under Current Scholars.