GBSA 2026 Scholarship Program Guide

2026 At a Glance

$48,000*

Total Award Value

27*

Individual Scholarships

Applicants

1 : 3

Male : Female Ratio

* Actual total award value and number of individual scholarships to be confirmed.

What's New This Year

The application process has been redesigned from a manual, document-based workflow into a structured, web-based system. This approach improves efficiency, ensures consistency, and provides a centralized review package (Review PDF) for each applicant.

Important Dates

Date	Information
April 29	Final application and document submission deadline (students)
May 1	Final deadline for additional documents from teachers (by prior notice)
May 2 – May 12	Committee evaluation period
May 10 – May 14	Committee deliberation (begins early if all scoring is complete)
May 15 (TBC)	Communication to Boston Latin Academy
May 21 (TBC)	Award Ceremony

Scoring Deadline

All committee members must complete their scoring by May 12. Deliberation as a full group can begin as early as May 10 if everyone finishes ahead of schedule.

How the System Works (Big Picture)

The scholarship process flows through four connected stages:

Student AppliesIntake Form

→

Data CollectedMaster Sheet

→

Docs UpdatedUpdate Form

→

Committee ScoresScoring Rubric

1 Students submit their application online

Includes personal information, essay, transcript, recommendation letters, awards, and optional supporting documents.

2 The system processes and organizes everything automatically

Each applicant gets a dedicated folder in Google Drive. Documents are filed, data is collated, and everything syncs every 15 minutes.

3 Additional documents can be submitted at any time

Students, teachers, or counselors can submit supplemental materials via the Update Form. The system automatically updates the applicant's file.

4 A Review PDF is generated for each applicant

This single document compiles everything the applicant submitted — essays, transcripts, recommendations, awards — into one convenient package for committee members to review.

5 Committee members score applicants using their personal rubric

Each reviewer has their own Scoring Rubric spreadsheet. Scores are automatically captured and consolidated. No manual submission required.

The Application Process (Intake)

A student fills out the Application Form (Google Form) online. When they submit:

1 The application is received and logged automatically

Each student is assigned a unique Application Number (e.g., GBSA26-0023).

2 A personal folder is created in Google Drive

All uploaded documents (essay, transcript, recommendations, etc.) are filed into this folder automatically.

3 The master record is updated within 15 minutes

The applicant's data appears in the central tracking system and becomes available for scoring preparation.

No manual action is needed — the entire process from submission to filing is automatic.

Automated Emails & Communications

The system sends automatic, personalized emails at each stage of the process:

Application Confirmation

1 Student receives a confirmation email upon applying

Subject: GLS/BLA Association Awards Application Confirmation
Contains their unique Application Number
Instructions to retain it for future reference
Link to the Update Form for submitting additional documents
Attached: Submission PDF — a formatted copy of their entire application

Update Confirmation (Submitter)

2 When additional documents are submitted, the submitter receives confirmation

Subject: GLS/BLA Association Awards — Update Received
Confirms which Application Number was updated
Lists all documents that were uploaded
Attached: Update Confirmation PDF
If the submitter is not the applicant: indicates whether documents were shared with the student

Update Notification (Applicant)

3 If someone else submits on behalf of a student, the student is notified

Subject: GLS/BLA Association Awards — Update to Your Application
Identifies who made the submission
Indicates whether the uploaded documents are accessible to the applicant

Privacy by Design

When a teacher or counselor submits documents on behalf of a student, the system respects the submitter's sharing preference. Confidential materials (such as recommendation letters) can be kept private from the applicant while still being included in the review file.

Customized Reminder Emails

4 Personalized reminders are sent to applicants with incomplete files

A process is in place to deliver customized reminder emails at scale
Each reminder is tailored to the individual applicant, identifying specifically which documents are still outstanding
Reminders are tracked in the system to avoid duplicate notifications

Submitting Additional Documents (Update)

After the initial application, additional documents can be submitted at any time before the deadline using the Update Form.

1 Someone submits the Update Form with the student's Application Number

This can be the student, a teacher, a counselor, or anyone with the form link.

2 New documents are automatically filed into the student's folder

3 The student's Review PDF is automatically updated

Any new materials appear in the compiled review document within minutes.

Multiple Submissions Welcome

Students and recommenders can submit documents in stages. Each submission is captured and integrated into the student's review file. There is no limit to the number of updates.

The Review PDF

The Review PDF is the central document that committee members use to evaluate each applicant. It is generated automatically and contains:

General Information — name, contact, background
Current & Past Activities — extracurriculars, leadership, community service
Continuing Education — college plans
The Essay — the student's personal essay
Award Preferences — which scholarships the student selected
Documents Submitted — transcript, recommendation letters, resume, supporting docs

Always Up to Date

The Review PDF is rebuilt automatically whenever new documents are submitted. Committee members always see the latest version.

What Happens Automatically

The following processes run automatically without any manual intervention:

Process	Frequency	What It Does
Master Data Sync	Every 15 minutes	Pulls new application and update data into the central record
Scoring Data Refresh	Every 15 minutes	Updates the scoring sheet with the latest applicant data, sorted alphabetically
Application Processing	On each submission	Creates folders, files documents, assigns application numbers
Review PDF Generation	On each update	Rebuilds the applicant's review document with new materials

Evaluation Process

Each committee member receives a personal Scoring Rubric worksheet, linked to a master scoring sheet for automatic processing.

⚠ Before You Begin

All reviews must be completed directly in the web browser or Google Sheets app. Work completed in downloaded files (e.g., Excel) will not flow through to the final aggregated results.

1 Each reviewer opens their personal Scoring Rubric

A unique link is shared with each committee member individually. The rubric is accessed via a web browser or the Google Sheets app.

2 For each student, the reviewer opens the Review PDF

The link appears next to each student's name in the rubric. It opens the compiled review document containing all submitted materials.

3 The reviewer scores the student using columns E through O

A score is selected from the dropdown in each category. The scoring framework below provides guidance on how to apply the scale.

4 Scores are captured automatically

No submission button is needed. All scores entered in a reviewer's rubric are automatically consolidated into the master scoring sheet.

Scoring Framework

Each category is scored on a scale of 1 to 5:

1-2Below

3Meets

4Above

5Exceeds

Score	Meaning
1 – 2	Below expectations
3	Meets expectations
4	Above expectations
5	Clearly exceeds expectations. Should reflect an aspect that stands out as notably strong, thoughtful, or impactful relative to what is typically expected at this level.

Mandatory Documents: Transcript & Recommendation

The Transcript and Recommendation categories have an additional score option of 0, which is assigned only when the applicant has not submitted the required document. A score of 0 applies exclusively to these two categories.

Helpful Tips

Full scoring range — reviewers are encouraged to use the full 1–5 range where appropriate.
Column O — Other / Additional Info: This category provides space for additional points where a reviewer feels an applicant demonstrates qualities not fully captured elsewhere in the rubric. It is intended to be used selectively.

What the Review PDF Contains

The Review PDF for each applicant is organized into the following sections:

Section	Contents
General Information	Name, contact details, family background, first-generation status
Current & Past Activities	Extracurriculars, leadership roles, community service, employment
Continuing Education	College plans, intended major, career goals
The Essay	The student's personal essay response
Award Preferences	Which scholarships the student indicated interest in
Documents Submitted	Transcript, recommendation letters, resume, any additional supporting documents

Scoring Consolidation

All reviewer scores are automatically consolidated into a master scoring sheet.

Scores update in real time as reviewers enter them
No manual submission or copy-paste is needed
The consolidated scores form the basis for committee deliberation
Individual reviewer scores remain visible for discussion during deliberation

Forms

Form	Purpose	Link
Application Form	Initial student application	Open Form
Update Form	Submit additional documents	Open Form
Committee Scheduling	Deliberation availability poll	Open Form

Documents for Students

Document	Description	Link
Scholarship Description	Describes all available scholarships and eligibility criteria	Download PDF
Application Questions	Shows all form fields — helps students prepare, especially the essay	Download PDF

Committee Folders

Folder	Contents	Link
2026 Scholarship	Main folder for the current year	Open in Drive
Applicant Files	Individual applicant folders with submitted documents	`/2026 Scholarship/01_Application Folders/`
Scoring Files	Scoring rubrics and aggregate sheet	`/2026 Scholarship/03_Scoring/`

Access Restrictions

All folders and files are access-controlled through Google Drive sharing permissions. If you believe you should have access and encounter an "Access Denied" or "Request Access" message, please contact the scholarship administrator to have your Google account granted permission.

About This Guide

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the GLS/BLA Association Scholarship Awards program for the Class of 2026. It is intended to serve as a reference for scholarship committee members and association leadership involved in the evaluation and award process.