Presentation on recruiting students into the Bonner Scholar and Bonner Leader programs.

1. The Bonner Program:
Recruitment
“Access to Education,
Opportunity to Serve”
A program of:
The Corella & Bertram Bonner Foundation
10 Mercer Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 924-6663 • (609) 683-4626 fax
For more information, please visit our website at www.bonner.org

2. Recruitment:
Overview
• Overview
- Type of student
- Pipelines
- Application Process
- Interviews & Campus Visits
- Some Scholar & Leader distinctions
• Resources
• Best Practices
• Self-Assessment and Evaluation
www.bonner.org

3. Recruitment:
Type of Student
• Service experience: a student who has shown
commitment to the ethic and engagement in
service
• Recruit for diversity: people of color, males,
international students
• Scholars: during high school, or even in one’s
family; financial need
• Leaders: on campus, in other programs, or during
high school
www.bonner.org

4. Recruitment:
Pipelines
• Recruited by Bonner Leader/Scholar (Allegheny
College)
• Targeted relationships with high schools
• Targeted international recruitment (Mars Hill and
the Sudan)
• Utilizing national network (Matt Morton, identifying
other foster youth)
• Close relationship with Admissions Office
• Small Bonner Scholar schools notify all eligible
students
www.bonner.org

5. Recruitment:
Application
• Written information found easily on the school’s
website
• Questions elicit students’ experience with and
ethic for service
• Staff & student leaders are involved in screening
• Most campuses try to solidify incoming class in
Spring prior to Fall start
• A multi-step process ensures good selections
www.bonner.org

6. Recruitment:
Interviews & Campus Visits
• Interviews on the phone or in-person help
clarify the student’s capacity for success (e.g.,
attitude, fit, experience)
• Some campuses include parents in the
recruitment process (e.g., Emory & Henry)
• Preview weekends, with student-led team
projects, are a best practice (e.g., West Virginia
Wesleyan)
• Timeline corresponds with college’s overall
admissions timeline
www.bonner.org

7. Recruitment:
Scholar & Leader Distinctions
Bonner Scholars Bonner Leaders
When Recruited Pre-College Pre- or during college
Duration 4 Years 2-4 Years
Top 40% of high school
Academic Criteria School determines
class
Estimated Family EFC < $7500 for at leas
Optional criteria
Contribution 85% of entering class
Bonner AmeriCorps Optional Optional
www.bonner.org

8. Recruitment:
Resources
• Recruitment Implementation Guide (Strategy, Tips)
• Sample Applications, Admissions Letters, Brochures,
Interview Questions & Screening Criteria (In Good
Form and Guide)
• Bonner Scholar Program Rules (Recruitment)
• Other schools’ suggestions
www.bonner.org

9. Recruitment:
Self-Assessment and Evaluation
Effective Recruitment:
Effective, timely recruitment strategy that results
in a diverse, highly committed group of students
who are a good fit for both the institution and the
Bonner Program
Program Retention:
As good or better retention for Bonner students
as for the institution as a whole
www.bonner.org

10. Recruitment:
Best Practices
• Laura Megivern, Johnson State University
• Rina Tovar, Stetson University
• Kevin Buechler, Davidson College
www.bonner.org