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Online Application with Résumé and Cover Letter. The online portion of the application will consist of a form, résumé and cover letter; all three must be present before submitting. The Neeley Fellows Application will open on February 3, 2025.

1. Acknowledgement of Commitment – After carefully reading the Neeley Fellows Statement of Values, Dr. Rob Rhodes Learning Mantra and program requirements, enter your digital signature to indicate your understanding and commitment to the expectations of being a Neeley Fellow, if selected.
2. Complete the Application – Supply the requested information, attach your résumé and cover letter, and answer the short answer questions:
   1. Short Answer Questions – thoughtfully respond to the following prompts using 2000 characters or less
      1. Describe what initially inspired your interest in business and how you envision using your Neeley education to achieve your career aspirations and make a positive impact.
      2. The Dr. Rob Rhodes Learning Mantra provides inspiration to how our community approaches learning. Candidates will want to take the time to read the mantra linked above and view the video that explores the intent behind it before answering this question. Reflecting on the Learning Mantra and your passion for learning, provide an example that relates to one of its pillars and illustrate your love of learning.
   2. Résumé – Upload your résumé in the format shown in the template and sample résumé.
      1. Your one-page résumé should focus on where you have had the most extensive involvement that covers a breadth and variety of experiences that most impacted you during high school and college, with post high school activities being a priority. Be intentional when determining which to include with quality (over quantity) being the driving factor.
      2. Use the following file naming convention for the PDF version of your résumé: “LastName, FirstName Resume” before uploading.
   3. Cover Letter
      1. Your thoughtful, thorough one-page letter should convey to the selection committee that you have spent time researching the program, talking to its current members and thinking about your future. You are encouraged to be authentic, considering your traits and values in how you communicate who you are and why you are a good fit for Neeley Fellows.
      2. Should be addressed to: Meg Lehman, Program Director, Neeley Fellows
      3. Use the following file naming convention for the PDF version of your cover letter: “LastName, FirstName CL” before uploading.

You are encouraged to create an account when the application opens on February 3 in anticipation of submitting your Neeley Fellows application. Through creating an account and accessing the Neeley Fellows application, you will be able to submit the name and contact information of the individual who will be providing a recommendation on your behalf. In order to give that individual ample time to complete your recommendation before the March 7 deadline, you are strongly encouraged to submit the name/contact information as early as possible so they can receive the link to complete the recommendation.

Provide recommenders with a brief introduction to the Neeley Fellows program and direct them to the Neeley Fellows website for more information so that they can provide a thoughtful recommendation that speaks to your fit for Neeley Fellows.

You should reach out to the individual that you would like to submit a recommendation on your behalf prior to submitting their name and contact information confirming their willingness to do so.

Question-Based Format:
This year, we are asking your recommender to respond to a series of questions through the application platform in lieu of submitting a letter of recommendation. The questions are related to the context the recommender knows you, some of your accomplishments and your personal attributes that are related to what we are seeking in a candidate providing examples that demonstrate those attributes. Some of those attributes include academic potential, dedication/commitment, work ethic, resilience, leadership, initiative, attitude, integrity, passion for learning, team work/collaboration, growth mindset (for example, willingness to receive feedback, development oriented).

Recommender Selection:
Choose someone to submit a recommendation on your behalf that knows you well and can speak to your strengths, accomplishments and specific traits and attributes, such as high school or college teacher or counselor, employer, or community leader. Keep in mind the questions mentioned in the prior section that the recommender will be asked to answer and think about who might be best suited to thoughtfully respond to those questions on your behalf. A family member, friend, and paid independent college counselor is not a suitable recommender. A minister or spiritual leader is acceptable only if the applicant was/is involved as an employee, intern or in community service through their faith-based organization.

Timing:
Approach the person whom you wish to write your recommendation at the beginning of the application process providing your recommender ample time to research the program and submit their recommendation. Deadline for Neeley Fellows to receive your letter of recommendation is March 7, 2025 and will be submitted by the recommender via the application portal. You are responsible for ensuring that your letter of recommendation is submitted by the application deadline on March 7, 2025.

After you submit your application, you will be assigned two current Neeley Fellows you do not know to conduct your informational interviews between March 24 and April 4, 2025. The goal of these conversations is to get to know you and explore your fit and interest in Neeley Fellows. Attire for these informational interviews is casual.

These are by invitation only. Applicants will be notified on April 17, 2025 if they will be moving forward in the application process and participating in these interviews.

1. These interviews will occur on Sunday, April 27, 2025. While the interviews will be conducted via Zoom with our alumni and program faculty/staff, we do ask that the applicants come to the Neeley Fellows office to participate in the interview in one of our interview rooms.
2. You will be notified with the time of your session prior to this date. Therefore, please keep this date open until the time assignments are communicated.
3. Attire is business professional.

You do not need to be currently in the Honors College to apply to Neeley Fellows. While being in the Honors College is one facet a candidate’s application, our review of candidates is holistic and considers many factors. Honors College status does not preclude a candidate from being selected. In fact, we have accepted students each year that were not currently in the Honors College. Those students reapply to the Honors College their sophomore year.

Yes, you can apply to Neeley Fellows and Honors College concurrently. If you are not currently in the Honors College and plan to apply to Neeley Fellows, you should apply to the Honors College as part of the fall 2024 and/or spring 2025 application process. If you are applying to the Honors College, please review the college’s important dates, deadlines and application process and put as much care and effort into your Honors College application as you do your Neeley Fellows application. 

If you applied to the Honors College in the past and were not accepted, you may apply again, but are encouraged to revisit your initial application to identify areas of improvement.

You reapply to the Honors College your sophomore year. In that situation, your Neeley Fellows invitation is contingent on successful completion of Honors College application and invitation to join the Honors College the following year.

Neeley Fellows and the BNSF Neeley Leadership Program are both three-year, cohort-based programs. You're encouraged to explore both, but are only able to apply to one.

In the past, we have not accepted applications from transfer students as most have already taken courses that make up the Neeley Fellows curriculum.  In addition, we require students to have a minimum 3.5 GPA both semesters of the first-year and it is difficult to compare GPAs from various institutions.  With Neeley Fellows being a three year, cohort based program, it’s really not designed to be a transfer program.

With that being said, we will consider applications from transfer students with the following caveats:

• The applicant cannot have taken any of the courses in the Neeley Fellows curriculum at TCU or other institutions – the lower division courses where there is typically conflict are the following: Fundamentals of Accounting, Marketing Management, Entrepreneurial & Business Regulatory Environment, Financial Management and Business Information Systems.
• Plan to graduate in May 2028 (preferred) or December 2027 as it’s a three year, cohort based program.
• Meet 3.5 GPA minimum in the spring semester.
• Apply to the Honors College.

Applicants cannot have taken any of the courses in the Neeley Fellows curriculum at TCU or other institutions. The lower division courses where there is potential conflict are the following: Fundamentals of Accounting, Marketing Management, Entrepreneurial & Business Regulatory Environment, Financial Management and Business Information Systems. Consult with your academic advisor and carefully review the information listed on the Benefits and Curriculum page to prevent enrolling in courses in the Neeley Fellows curriculum which would preclude you from applying.