[CABS-Talk] Quick questions about NFB scholarship materials

[Gene Kim]

Hi Cayte! Thanks so much for the quick and helpful reply! I've noted these
and will start putting my application together.

On Tue, Feb 25, 2025 at 2:01 PM Mendez, Catherine <cmendez at nfb.org> wrote:

> Hey Gene! Glad to hear you’re applying again!
>
> 1. Your best bet is to get your president interview done with the
> president who knows you best and can write you a really good
> recommendation. Geography in this case is less important, since as you say
> you’re not sure where you’re going to school. My guess would be that the
> person who knows you best is California, but I could be wrong. if you do go
> with someone other than California, just make sure that you reach out to
> the scholarships mailbox and ask Pat Miller to put a note in your file that
> explains why you went with someone other than the California affiliate
> president. This will clear up any ambiguity.
>
> 2. Truthfully, I think letters of recommendation from someone other than
> the Federation are better. They show that you are well rounded, and can
> speak to things that we don’t already know, like how you excel in academic
> and or community situations. If you really want someone from the Federation
> to write you a rec, that’s fine, but have that be a supplemental one and
> let the more academic or professional one be the stand out. You can upload
> more than one
>
>
> Cayte Mendez
> Chairperson, National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Committee
> Phone: 315-345-3813
>
> > On Feb 24, 2025, at 11:58 AM, Gene Kim <gene.sh.kim at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Cayte,
> >
> > I hope you're keeping warm in the New York weather! I'm thinking about
> applying for the scholarship program and had two quick questions:
> >
> > 1) I'll be moving to a different state for grad school, but I doubt I
> will have committed to a program by March 31. Does it make more sense to do
> the affiliate president interview with California, or can I do the
> interview with one of the states I've received an offer from (Illinois,
> Massachusetts, or Washington) even though there's uncertainty?
> > 2) For the letter of recommendation, would the committee prefer one from
> a professor? I was thinking of asking a federation mentor to give my profs
> a break from all the grad school/scholarship letters they're writing.
> >
> > Thanks so much for any thoughts!
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Gene
> >
>