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Application Materials

Interested in participating in the ACE program? Learn how below:

Coach Endorsement

You will be required to submit one coach endorsement with your application. Your endorsement can come from your head coach, position, or assistant coach. You will be asked to provide your coach’s name and email address when you start your application. Completing this endorsement should take your coach about 5 minutes. This is not a “traditional” recommendation letter. Instead, your coach will share observations regarding your role as a positive contributor to team culture. They will also share whether you have demonstrated maturity, humility, open-mindedness, and a willingness to learn outside your comfort zone as a part of the team. We believe these are important qualities for our participants to bring to their ACE experience.

Passport

You will need a current, valid passport (passport must be valid for 6 months past the first day of classes of the next academic year) and a legible, pdf color scan or copy of the photo page of your passport to apply for ACE.  Please note that ACE will not pay for the cost of applying for or renewing your passport. If you do not have a passport or your passport needs to be renewed, please begin the process of obtaining or renewing your passport immediately. If you are accepted, you must have a valid passport by the time you are accepted into your ACE program in early March. We strongly encourage you to request “expedited service” on your passport to ensure you receive your passport in time for the application deadline. Visit the US Passports and International Travel Website for more information on how to apply for or renew your passport.

Short-Answer Responses

You’ll be asked to respond to the four questions below using complete sentences on the application. All questions can be answered in 1-3 paragraphs.

Below are the questions from the 2023-2024 application. 2024-2025 application questions will be updated by Dec. 4 when the ACE application opens.

  • Motivation: Why are you interested in participating in the Rubenstein Student-Athlete Civic Engagement Program (ACE)? What interests you about the specific program(s) to which you wish to be considered? Please refer to the program profiles on the ACE website for more specific information on each program. If you applied to ACE in previous years, how has your interest in ACE changed or developed since your last application?
  • Skills and Experiences: What skills and/or experiences do you possess that will enable you to make a meaningful contribution to ACE and the specific program(s) to which you wish to be considered?
  • Civic Engagement/Public Service: Think about a person that best exemplifies to you how to live a life of a public service and be civically engaged and that you would hope to emulate. This person could be a friend, teammate, family member, coach, historical figure or someone in the public sphere. Please briefly describe who this person is and why you chose them. Give an example of a specific time when you made a decision, took action, approached a situation differently, etc. because of their impact on you.
  • Goals: How will this experience contribute to your personal and/or professional development and/or academic interests? If you applied to ACE in previous years, how have your goals changed (if at all) for participation in the program since your last application?

Ready to start your application? Go to the ACE application portal.