Program Description
Eugene Lang College proudly announces the Jeff Gural Academic Achievement and Opportunity Scholars Program, a highly selective scholarship available to first-year students beginning in fall 2013. Gural Scholars receive supplemental scholarships above their financial aid award for all four years at Lang as well as additional funding each year for group research projects and other activities outside of the classroom that promote community among the scholars.
- During freshman year, each Gural Scholar works closely with a faculty advisor on a field-based project that addresses social justice issues in New York City.
- As sophomores, the scholars design and implement more extensive projects that address a social justice issue of national scope within the United States.
- During junior year, the scope of the project expands even further to include an international theme. Sponsored by the program, Gural Scholars travel to a foreign country to undertake a research or service project.
- As seniors, Gural Scholars complete both individual senior capstone projects in their majors and a group project that represents the legacy of their class to The New School.
Individual and group projects and target communities are developed through consensus with guidance from a faculty advisor so that Gural Scholars have genuine ownership of their work in the program throughout their undergraduate education. In addition, Gural Scholars are invited to participate in special lectures, seminars, and cultural events.
How to Apply
Submit the standard online application for admission to Eugene Lang College as a first-year student. At the same time, submit the supplemental essay for the Jeff Gural Academic Achievement and Opportunity Scholars Program described below and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To be considered for the Gural scholarship, an applicant must demonstrate academic achievement, a record of leadership and community engagement, and financial need. The program is highly competitive, but all prospective students who think they can satisfy the criteria mentioned should apply.
Gural Scholars Supplemental Essay: Using the following quotation from Pedagogies of Crossing as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your core values or changed the way you approach the world.
We are committed to paying close attention to the histories within our personal and institutional lives, and to struggling together around their effects.
— M. Jacqui Alexander, former Eugene Lang College professor
Be sure to include your name and New School ID (N + 8 digits that appears on your online application form) as a header on your essay. Email the essay no later than February 15, 2013, to lang@newschool.edu.
Jeffrey R. Gural
Jeff Gural is currently the chairman of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank and a highly respected community leader in New York City. His deep commitment to civic philanthropy is evidenced by the numerous initiatives and organizations that he and his family support. He is a longtime trustee of The New School and a member of the Eugene Lang College board of governors. Mr. Gural’s service and support has had a transformative impact on Lang’s civic engagement programs and the educational experiences of many students.
Jeff Gural also serves on the boards of directors of many businesses and charitable institutions. He is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Civil Engineering. He resides with his wife in New York City. They have three children and five grandchildren.
