Golden Apple Scholars Program in Illinois

The Golden Apple Scholars Program in Illinois is a teacher preparation and tuition assistance program for high school seniors and freshman and sophomore Illinois college students who have the determination and drive to be highly effective teachers in Illinois schools-of-need. We prepare aspiring teachers for immediate and lasting success in the most challenging teaching environments.

Application Deadlines

• Up to $23,000 in financial assistance for college, inclusive of paid professional development

• Extensive classroom teaching experience

• Instruction from award-winning educators and expert partners

• Academic and social-emotional support

• Job placement assistance

• Mentoring in first years of teaching

1. Complete online application including references and personal statements.

2. Upload Unofficial Transcripts

3. Standardized Test Scores (ACT or SAT)

   • Standardized test scores are optional and not required for acceptance to the Golden Apple Scholars Program. The review committee will closely review the strength of course selection, G.P.A., grade trending, personal statements and overall involvement for students wishing not to submit test scores.

   • Students accepted into the Scholars program must submit test scores after induction to assist in research purposes.

   • Home school students are required to submit test scores for application review.

4. Participate in prospective Scholar interviews

Entry Points

• High school Class of 2025

• College Freshmen and Sophomores at Partner Universities in Illinois

• Community college students in Illinois

General Requirements

• U.S. citizen, eligible non-citizen or DACAmented student and resident of Illinois

• Illinois High School Senior, Illinois Partner University Freshman or Sophomore, Illinois Community College Student.

• Academic Requirements

  • Every application submitted to Golden Apple Scholars receives a holistic review. This means every piece of your application is reviewed and considered in order to make a decision. One single item does not determine your application decision.

Completion Requirements

• Meet ISAC program requirements

• 2.5 GPA

• Participation in Golden Apple Scholar Institutes

• Code of conduct compliance

• Bachelor's degree from an Illinois Partner University

• Illinois teaching certification

• Teach for five years in an Illinois school-of-need within 7 years of graduation

• An anticipated college graduation date no earlier than the summer of 2027 due to programmatic requirements

Golden Apple Scholars Program in Illinois Eligible Colleges & Universities

Augustana College

Aurora University

Benedictine University

Blackburn College

Bradley University

Chicago State University

Concordia University

DePaul University

Dominican University

Eastern Illinois University

Elmhurst University

Eureka College

Governors State University

Greenville University

Illinois College

Illinois State University

Illinois Wesleyan University

Judson University

Knox College

Lake Forest College

Lewis University

Loyola University Chicago

McKendree University

Millikin University

Monmouth College

National Louis University

North Central College

North Park University

Northeastern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University

Northwestern University

Olivet Nazarene University

Quincy University

Rockford University

Roosevelt University

Saint Xavier University

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville

Trinity Christian College

Trinity International University

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Illinois at Springfield

University of St. Francis

VanderCook College of Music

Western Illinois University

Wheaton College