Gensler Opportunity Scholarship

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2025

GENSLER OPPORTUNITY

SCHOLARSHIP

These scholarships work to break down the barriers of entering the architectural profession and provide opportunities for all students.

Eligibility
Students enrolled at a U.S. not-for-profit educational institution who will begin their final year of an NAAB-accredited architecture program in the Fall of 2025 are eligible to apply.

Awards
(5) $10,000 Tuition Scholarships

Apply Online
Applicants for the Gensler Opportunity Scholarship must complete the following no later than 11:59 PM EST on March 15, 2025.

Complete an online application which includes:

Resume

A Letter of Recommendation from the dean or chair of the program. The letter must confirm that the applicant meets the eligibility criteria and describe their professional excellence.

Personal Impact Statement that provides insight into how you have overcome adversity, demonstrated leadership and ways that you plan to use design to create a better tomorrow.

Design Challenge Sketch and explanation.

One advanced-level architecture project with written description (500 words and 10 pages, maximum). Work done with a single partner may be submitted, but it must include a description of the applicant’s specific contribution and a letter of support from the applicant’s collaborative partner.

Finalists will be invited to submit a digital video that introduces themselves to the jury and presents their work — see directions below.

Our scholarships aim to break down the barriers for students to access architecture and design school.

January 2025

Launch: Application portal opens

March 15, 2025

Deadline: Online application uploaded

March 2025

Finalists notified via email

April 2025

Deadline: Finalists to submit videos for jury

May 2025

Winners notified via email

Summer 2025

Scholarship funds distributed

We are in unprecedented times. Design is a tool for change. We live in a rapidly changing world where climate change, societal conflict, and uncertainty abound. Despite these challenges, we are inspired support one another, come together as a profession, and use our voices for the betterment of society. If ever there was a moment for the power of design to elevate the human experience, this is it.

The Rules

The Design Challenge is only required for the Tuition Scholarship Applicants.

Answer

Answer one of the prompts with a sketch

Write

Write a brief explanation to describe your sketch

Upload

Upload it, along with your resume, portfolio, positive impact statement, and letter of recommendation

As Designers How Can We...

How can we provide engaging and quality design for communities that have been historically neglected?

This is our opportunity to use design as a tool to support communities who have been historically neglected.

Preserve and celebrate culture and community through sustainability?

This is our chance to create a new normal, one that’s safer, healthier, and infused with innovative possibilities for the human experience.

Reimagine ways for designers to make a difference?

Meaningful, creative, impactful, and bold ideas that are intentional in the ways they make a difference for all people is what we’re looking for.

Design for inclusiveness in our practice, communities, and cities?

This is our opportunity to explore current issues facing our cities and communities and how design can be a catalyst for change.

I’M READY TO APPLY

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2025

MICRO SCHOLARSHIP

Awards
(10) Micro-scholarships of various amounts ranging from $1,000-$2,500

Apply Online
Applicants for the scholarship must complete the following no later than 11:59PM EST on March 15, 2025.

*Current employees, recent former employees,and interns of Gensler, as well as their immediate families and those Gensler deems to presentconflicts of interest, are ineligible to participate.

Complete an online application which includes:

Resume

A Letter of Recommendation from a dean, chair, or faculty member in the program. The letter must confirm that the applicant meets the eligibility criteria and describe their professional excellence.

Essay Question, 500 words maximum

What do you see as the greatest value an architect can bring to their community or beyond?

How has your background and experiences (challenges overcome, leadership attributes, etc.) prepared you for playing a role in making this happen?

Our micro-scholarships are intended for studio materials, books, etc.