Giumette Academic Achievement Award
The Giumette Academic Achievement Award was developed by the Office of Students and Enrollment, in conjunction with the Student Union and the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences, as a way to recognize currently enrolled sophomores who have distinguished themselves in their course of study at Brandeis.
Formerly known as the Brandeis Academic Achievement Award, the award was renamed in 2015 in honor of Peter Giumette, who served as the dean of student financial services for more than 20 years and who had a deep commitment to increasing access to educational opportunities for first-generation and low-income students.
The selection committee welcomes applications from eligible students from all backgrounds who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship, academic achievement, and Brandeis community engagement as evidenced by grades, recommendations, personal accomplishment, and involvement in campus life.
The Academic Fellowships Team is here to support you through all steps of the application process. If you are interested in connecting with us to learn more, please contact us at fellowships@brandeis.edu.
Eligibility
- Currently enrolled sophomores who will achieve junior status in the 2025-2026 academic year
- Cumulative GPA of 3.70 or higher
- Have excelled academically
- Have made a contribution to the Brandeis community
- Have demonstrated personal growth as a result of their time at Brandeis so far
Renewal Eligibility
- Recipients of the Giumette Award must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 in order to be eligible for scholarship renewal. Students on academic or behavioral probation will not be eligible for renewal.
Application Timeline
- Eligible students notified via email: February 4, 2025
- Application Deadline: March 11, 2025
- Letters of recommendation: Letters of recommendation will be submitted through a secure website. Recommenders will receive a unique link via email to upload applicant letters.
Award
- Up to 10 awards in the amount of up to $5,000 per semester will be conferred for the junior and senior years. Recipients will be chosen by a selection committee composed of students, faculty and staff.
- Please note that recipients of the Malkin Scholarship, Slifka Scholarship, and Traquina Scholarship are not eligible to receive funding from the Giumette Academic Achievement Award.
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The amount received by awardees may be less than $5000 per semester, depending on a student's current financial aid package. In some cases, recipients of the GAAA receive no financial benefit (for example, the GAAA award would replace other scholarships, not be in addition to it, if full need is already being met). If you would like to know how this award could affect your financial aid package before you decide whether or not to apply, we recommend meeting with your financial aid advisor in Student Financial Services.
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The main part of the application consists of four focused, short-answer questions. When considering how to answer each question, applicants are encouraged to consider what impact Brandeis has had on them, and what impact they have had on the Brandeis community. The selection committee is looking to better understand your values, goals, and intellectual pursuits beyond your transcript. The strongest answers will respond to the question, allow the committee to see the applicant’s personality, and distinguish those who have meaningfully reflected on how their experience at Brandeis has shaped their academic and personal trajectory.
4 short answer questions (250 words each):
- What are you studying and why?
- How have you changed (personally, academically, etc.) since you arrived at Brandeis?
- What has been your most satisfying impact on the Brandeis community?
- How will you use what you have learned at Brandeis to help repair the world?
Additional application materials:
- Current résumé (assistance available at the Hiatt Career Center). While a one-page resume is standard for many job applications, we encourage you to include some descriptive details about your activities and accomplishments, and to use up to two pages for this fellowship application.
- Two recommendations from Brandeis faculty, staff members, or other mentors, coaches, or advisers affiliated with Brandeis University. At least one recommendation must be from a Brandeis faculty member. While in some cases it may make sense to ask someone not affiliated with Brandeis to write a letter, the selection committee is most interested in understanding your engagement with and impact on the Brandeis community, and therefore Brandeis-affiliated letters are preferred. Current students or family members are not eligible recommenders.
- Draft Review: You can schedule an appointment with a member of Academic Fellowships to discuss your application and receive feedback on your short answers. We are not members of the selection committee, so this is a great opportunity to connect with us and ask questions regardless of how far along you are in the writing process. We also recommend sharing a draft of your application with the Writing Center and with your Recommendation Letter Writers. It can be helpful to receive feedback both from those who know you well and also from those who do not know you yet; this allows you to make sure your application is clear to people who have not had the chance to meet you in person.
- Resumes: We recommend having your resume reviewed by a Hiatt Peer Advisor or Staff Member. You can schedule an appointment with a member of the Hiatt Career Center Team. You can also get support with your resume at our Applicant Support Day event on Thursday, February 6 at 1pm (see below).
- Applicant Support Event: The Academic Fellowships team holds applicant support events throughout the year to help applicants by providing feedback on drafts, advice on seeking letters of recommendation letters, and more. This year there will be an Applicant Support Event for GAAA Applicants on February 6 from 1 to 2pm in the Usdan 169 conference room (in the space formerly occupied by the Office of Study Abroad). You are welcome to attend for the entire hour or to drop in and out as your schedule allows.