NATIONAL COLLEGE ADVISING CORPS AT BROWN UNIVERSITY
Program/Position info and Access Scholar Application
About The Program:
The National College Advising Corps at Brown University (NCAC) seeks to increase the number of
low-to-moderate-income high school students who enter college and earn bachelor’s degrees, by
providing college application and financial aid guidance to those students and their families while
fostering a culture of college attendance and higher education in Rhode Island’s urban
communities.
NCAC is housed within the Howard R. Swearer Center for Public Service. The Swearer Center works
to connect the resources of Brown University and the Providence/Rhode Island community to
address urgent communities; create, share, and apply knowledge; and to educate and prepare
students for lives of effective action for the public good.
About the Access Scholar Position
The Access Scholar Position is a minimum-time AmeriCorps position offered each year to 10
current undergraduates at Brown University. The mission of the program is to expand the capacity
of the National College Advising Corps at Brown University while providing personal and
professional development opportunities to Access Scholars. Participants are selected in the spring
prior to their year of service, with training and placement occurring at the beginning of the fall
semester. Each Access Scholar is required to complete 300 hours of service during their term,
which roughly equates to 10 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters, as well as two
weeks of service during Brown’s Winter Break. Access Scholars receive a stipend from the Swearer
Center and an education award from the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Responsibilities:
Access Scholar responsibilities vary depending upon placement. Typically, Access Scholars can
expect to serve at one of the College Advising Corps partner high schools or with programs that
collaborate with the College Advising Corps, including –but not limited to- Swearer Center
Community Programs and the Rhode Island Urban Debate League. All Access Scholars, however,
can expect to participate in regular check-ins with program staff, as well as ongoing training and
reflection with fellow Access Scholars and College Advisers. In addition, Access Scholars are
expected to attend certain AmeriCorps events, and will be able to participate in training and service
opportunities sponsored by other AmeriCorps programs in Rhode Island.
Qualifications
 Must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate at Brown University
 Must be willing to commit to remaining on campus for the full academic year (including two
weeks over Winter Break), and to completing 300 hours of service during the 2013-2014
Academic Year
 Must be AmeriCorps eligible (see Application for details)
 Effective communication, organizational and time management skills
 Interest in education, college access, and/or public service
 Willingness to work directly with students to provide information and advising on elements
of the college process
TO APPLY: Please refer to the Application Instructions below.
APPLICATION: INSTRUCTIONS
Thank you for your interest in the National College Advising Corps at Brown University!
To apply for the Access Scholar Program, three [3] documents will need to be submitted electronically:

Via Email to Peter Gilchrist, Assistant Program Manager (peter_gilchrist@brown.edu) :
1. Cover Letter: Please email a cover letter addressing the following prompt:
 Why do you want to be an AmeriCorps Member? Your letter must reflect an
understanding of AmeriCorps (See http://americorps.gov) and why you would like to
dedicate yourself to a year of service. Cover letter length may not exceed one [1] page.
2. Resume: Please email resume in PDF form, if possible.
3. Application Form: Please email the Application Form (this document), which contains the
following sections:
 Applicant Information.
 Reference Information.
 Two Essays. Please see prompts below and include your responses within the space
provided in this document.
 Electronic Signature.
The Application Form is available electronically the College Advising Corps page of the Swearer Center Website
(http://www.brown.edu/go/cac).
If you have any questions please contact:
Ralph Johnson (Program Manager, College Advising Corps)
Email: ralph_johnson@brown.edu
Phone: (401) 863-9574
Peter Gilchrist (Assistant Program Manager, College Advising Corps)
Email: peter_gilchrist@brown.edu
Phone: (401) 863-9556
APPLICATION: PERSONAL INFORMATION
APPLICANT INFORMATION
First Name:
Name Here
Preferred Telephone Number:
Phone Number Here
Middle Name:
Name Here
Brown Email Address:
Email Address Here
Last Name:
Name Here
Permanent Mailing Address:
Permanent Address Here
AMERICORPS ELIGIBILITY: CITIZENSHIP
To be eligible to serve as an AmeriCorps Member, College Guides must be citizens or permanent residents of the
United States. Unfortunately, AmeriCorps programs are unable to sponsor visas for any person who is neither a
citizen nor a permanent resident of the United States.
US Citizenship Status Type “US Citizen”, “Permanent Resident” or “Other” (with explanation) here.
AMERICORPS ELIGIBILITY: PRIOR AMERICORPS EXPERIENCE
HAVE YOU EVER PARTICIPATED IN AN AMERICORPS PROGRAM?
Type “Yes” or “No” Here
Type “Yes” or “No” Here
IF YES, DID YOU COMPLETE YOUR PROGRAM:
IF APPLICABLE, WITH WHICH PROGRAM DID YOU PARTICIPATE AND WHERE?
Information Here
REFERENCE INFORMATION
Please provide the contact information for an individual whom we may contact as a reference
for your application. This individual should be someone who can speak about your
qualifications and interest in this position (i.e. teacher, supervisor, volunteer coordinator)
RECOMMENDER
Full Name:
Name Here
Title/Position:
Title/Position Here
Email:
Email Here
Relationship:
Relationship Here
Organization/Institution:
Organization/Institution Here
Phone:
Phone Number Here
APPLICATION: ESSAYS
Please limit your responses to 500 words for each essay, and enter your responses in the spaces provided below.
ESSAY ONE
Why do you want to be an Access Scholar? In answering this question, please discuss the following topics:
-Your interest in education, college access, and public service
-What you hope to learn from this experience, what skills you hope to gain
-What skills and experiences you have that would make you a successful Access Scholar
Type Essay One Here
ESSAY TWO
Access Scholars can face significant challenges during their year of service. Describe a significant challenge you
have encountered. What steps did you take to address or overcome the challenge? How did others around you
respond? How did the success or failure of that challenge affect you?
Type Essay Two Here
APPLICATION: ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE
By entering my name and date below, I certify that the information I have provided in this application is true to
the best of my knowledge, and that the essays are my own work.
Name:
Please Type Name Here
Date:
Please Type Date Here