Frequently Asked Questions

Students selected for the program are chosen based on their strong record of commitment to leadership, scholarship, and service. Applicants must be Kentucky residents and high school seniors at the time of application and have an outstanding academic record (3.5 GPA and ACT/SAT scores of 26/1230). Scholarship recipients must at least minor in political science at UofL. 

• Apply by Dec. 1 of your senior year of high school.
• We encourage you to shadow a current UofL student to learn about the McConnell Scholars Program and other university programs and opportunities.

There are three stages to the McConnell Scholar selection process:

• Application Review: Applications are vetted by a McConnell Center-affiliated faculty and staff committee.
• Campus Interviews with Semi-Finalists: The top 30 applicants are invited to interview for two days (Friday and Saturday) at UofL in late February/early March. A panel of faculty, students and community leaders associated with the Center conducts the interviews.
• Final Scholar Selection: Judges convene for a debriefing meeting where a list of top candidates is finalized. By the end of March, these finalists are offered scholarships, which they have until May 1 to accept.

McConnell Scholars receive four years of enhanced academic experience under the direction of Gary L. Gregg, PhD. Benefits include financial awards; mentored studies of leadership, citizenship, and the liberal arts; international and domestic travel; opportunities to meet and engage with prominent national, state and local leaders; and access to the Center's alumni leadership network.

If Scholars meet the Center's basic academic and participation requirements, the scholarship is renewable for up to four years.

Learn more about the McConnell Scholars Program and how it is structured.

Hear from McConnell Scholar alumni and see how the McConnell Scholars Program can influence you beyond graduation.

Scholars are encouraged to pursue academic studies of their choice. However, to stay eligible for the scholarship, McConnell Scholars must at least minor in political science.

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell is a 1964 graduate of the University of Louisville. In the 1990s, he approached the university, hoping to give something back to the institution that had given him so much. Together, Sen. McConnell and university leadership came up with the idea of creating a scholarship program for young leaders to provide them with the kind of opportunities usually found only at the most elite private schools. The McConnell Scholars Program was the product of these discussions, and the McConnell Center was formally established in 1991 to develop this program for Kentucky high school graduates.

Though Sen. McConnell is Republican, the McConnell Center is not affiliated with any political party. It works hard to maintain its outstanding reputation for nonpartisan educational opportunities, featuring leaders from across the political spectrum. The Center never makes admissions decisions based on applicants' party affiliation.

Sen. McConnell established the McConnell Center in 1991 in collaboration with university officials and has generously raised a multi-million dollar endowment to support its programs and scholarships. Sen. McConnell continues to be engaged with the Center by helping us attract the most outstanding leaders in the nation—and the world—to speak to the university community. He also gives generously of his time as he meets informally with McConnell Scholars several times yearly. The senator, however, plays no role in the governance of the Center or in the selection of students who receive McConnell scholarships.