Francis Parker School of Louisville Announces the Opportunity to Win Merit Scholarships Worth Over $100,000 for High School!

When: Sunday, February 1, 2026  | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Where: Francis Parker School of Louisville High School Campus (233 W. Broadway)

For anyone seeking the best possible high school education, the Francis Parker Merit Scholarship Competition is for you. Francis Parker highly
values academic talent and commitment to the school community, so we are offering the opportunity to win extremely valuable Merit Scholarships for talented students. The Francis Parker High School Merit Scholarship Competition is open to all current 8th graders/rising 9th graders.

Three high school scholarships are available.:

• One overall Francis Parker Merit Scholar earns a 75% tuition scholarship, worth nearly $100,000 over four years

• Two Runner-Up Scholars (The Carnighan Scholar and the Cipinko Scholar) will earn 25% scholarships, worth over $30,000 over four years

Middle School Merit Scholarships are also available to rising 6th graders. Up to three Merit Scholars will be named with $1000 awards that are renewable through 8th grade.

 

MERIT QUESTIONNAIRE
Click here to download PDF of Merit Questionnaire

 

To be considered for the Merit Scholarship, students must:

For current Francis Parker students:

  1. Register for the Merit Scholarship Competition by emailing the Admissions Office at admissions@francisparkerlouisville.org.
  2. Complete the Merit Scholarship Information Packet and return the packet to the Admissions Office at admissions@francisparkerlouisville.org by Friday, January 30, 2026.
  3. Provide two teacher recommendations – ask two of your Core Subject teachers to fill out a recommendation to be sent to the Admissions Office at admissions@francisparkerlouisville.org by Friday, January 30, 2026.
  4. Attend and compete in the Merit Scholarship Competition (short verbal and math standardized tests, hands-on science problem-solving challenge, and a creative-writing essay) on Sunday, February 1.

For students who are applicants to Francis Parker:

  1. Register for the Merit Scholarship Competition by emailing the Admissions Office at admissions@francisparkerlouisville.org. In your email, include: name, email, and grade.
  2. Complete the application to Francis Parker, including the Shadow Day.
  3. Complete the Merit Scholarship Information Packet and return the packet to the Admissions Office at admissions@francisparkerlouisville.org by Friday, January 30, 2026.
  4. Attend and compete in the Merit Scholarship Competition (short verbal and math standardized tests, hands-on science problem-solving challenge, and a creative-writing essay) on Sunday, January 30, 2026.

Details: Each component of the Competition will take place on-site at the High School on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Students will hand-write their essays, unless they currently utilize a laptop as part of a documented classroom accommodation plan (which must be provided to the Admissions Office by Friday, January 30, 2026). Winners will be notified by February 13, 2026.

*For more information, see our Frequently Asked Questions below. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to email Khanya Warren, Francis Parker Director of Enrollment Management/Goshen Campus Admissions Director, at kwarren@francisparkerlouisville.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t attend Francis Parker, can I still enter the competition?

Yes! The competition is open to any current (2025-26 school year) 5th and 8th grader.

What does a Francis Parker Merit Scholar look like?

The Francis Parker Merit Scholars are dedicated students who have demonstrated academic achievement in the classroom.

  • Merit Scholarship winners generally earn mostly As; score in the 90+%ile on standardized tests; score in the top five on the creative writing essay and the top five on the science experiment; have teacher recommendations that are particularly strong, highlighting their academic engagement and leadership in the classroom; and write strong Merit Questionnaires that provide evidence of character, leadership, and commitment to the school community.
  • They are driven to contribute to their school community and are active participants in school activities.
  • They demonstrate leadership skills and exhibit the core values of the Francis Parker School of Louisville.
  • Merit Scholars are well-rounded students who demonstrate achievement in many areas both inside and outside of the classroom.

What happens on the day of the Merit Scholarship Competition?

Students cannot prepare for the Merit Scholarship Competition, and our goal is for the event to be as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. This event allows a number of our current Francis Parker students and prospective students to gather together and we endeavor to facilitate students’ meeting each other and getting to know some future classmates.

Students are guided through each section of the event with clear instructions, as well as given time to ask questions. We also provide snacks, water, and multiple breaks for students to recharge. Facilitators at the Merit Scholarship Competition include our Admissions Office personnel; Middle School and High School leaders; Head of School; and our High School science faculty who lead the science portion of the Competition.

Are there alternates for the Merit Scholarship?

There are no Alternates named for Francis Parker Merit Scholarships. The Merit Scholarship Committee chooses the recipients of the Merit Scholarships very carefully; they are specifically designated for the individual to whom a given scholarship is awarded based on the strength of their individual competition results and application. If an individual should decline the Merit Scholarship for any reason, that particular scholarship will not be awarded that year.

What accommodations are there for students?

Students who currently have an approved accommodation plan for a diagnosed learning difference that is documented in a current psycho-educational evaluation completed within the last three years may request certain accommodations for the Merit Scholarship Competition.

Please note: requests for accommodations must be made when registering for the Competition, and no later than one week prior to the Competition.

The following accommodations are provided for students who meet the criteria listed above:

  • Use of a school-provided laptop to complete the creative writing essay; and/or
  • Extended time on the standardized tests and/or essay; and/or
  • Separate seating for the standardized tests and/or essay; and/or
  • Use of a basic calculator on the SCAT

Accommodations will only be provided if they are listed as approved accommodations on the student’s official Accommodation plan or IEP, and if the request and required documentation is received at least one week prior to the Competition.

How are Merit Scholarship winners determined?

Participant names and identities are kept confidential from the Merit Scholarship Review Committee (the judging is “blind”) throughout the entire scoring and evaluation process. Scholarship recipients will be determined based on the results of the Merit Scholarship Competition; current grades; teacher recommendations, as well as the overall strength of the Merit Scholarship Application, including demonstration of leadership and commitment to contributing to the school community through extracurricular involvement.

Merit Scholarship Finalists are chosen based on performance at the Competition, as well as transcripts/grade reports. Then the Merit Scholarship Committee reviews each Finalist’s entire Application and determines the scholarship winners based on analysis of all aspects of the Application.

Winners are chosen based on the strength of following factors:

  • Creative Writing Essay (as graded by Middle School Language Arts teachers for 6th grade and High School English teachers for 9th grade)
  • Science Experiment (as graded/ranked by MS or HS science teachers)
  • Scores on the Math standardized test (SCAT*)
  • Scores on the Verbal standardized test (SCAT)
  • Any other standardized test results submitted with application
  • Teacher Recommendation(s)
  • Grade Report/Report Card/GPA
  • Merit Scholarship Questionnaire — quality of answers on this form and evidence of extracurricular involvement/contribution to the School and leadership

*Francis Parker uses the SCAT (School and College Ability Test) as the standardized test component of the Merit Scholarship. The SCAT is an assessment developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. SCAT is an above-grade-level test used to help identify advanced students. Because this is an above-grade-level test, your student is not expected to know all the answers, and may not finish all the questions – this is normal. The SCAT has two sections – verbal and quantitative – and each section contains 50 questions. A student’s raw score corresponds to the number of correct responses; raw scores are then converted to a percentile rank that indicates how the student performed on the SCAT compared to students in the same grade level nationally.

What are the Awards?

Middle School Awards (Rising 6th Graders)
The Middle School rising 6th grade Merit Scholarships are $1000 each; up to three Merit Scholarships will be awarded. Each award is renewable for the remaining three years of Middle School through 8th grade, assuming the student continues to demonstrate the achievement and qualities that earned them a Merit Scholarship. The winners will be chosen from a group of Finalists, who will each receive a Certificate indicating that they earned Finalist Status in the Middle School Merit Scholarship Competition.
High School Awards (Rising 9th Graders) 
The High School rising 9th grade Merit Scholarships are extremely valuable and are meant to attract and retain top academic talent at Francis Parker. In the High School Merit Scholarship, an overall Merit Scholar will be named – that student will be the recipient of a 75% tuition scholarship to the High School. In addition, there are two named Runner-Up Merit Scholarships – the Carnighan Scholar, who demonstrates outstanding aptitude in math/science; and the Cipinko Scholar, who demonstrates outstanding aptitude in the Humanities, including English and history – both worth 25% of tuition. Each award is renewable for all four years of High School, assuming the student continues to demonstrate the achievement and qualities that earned them a Merit Scholarship. The winners will be chosen from a group of Finalists, who will all receive a Certificate indicating that they earned Finalist Status in the High School Merit Scholarship Competition. Winners will be notified on February 6, 2026.
Please note: There are no Alternates named for Francis Parker Merit Scholarships. The Merit Scholarship Committee chooses the recipients of the Merit Scholarships very carefully; they are specifically designated for the individual to whom a given scholarship is awarded based on the strength of their individual competition results and application. If an individual should decline the Merit Scholarship for any reason, that particular scholarship will not be awarded that year. 

You belong here.

Learn more about our innovative, student-first approach to education and be the first to know about admission events and application deadlines.

Learn More

Come and take a tour!

We would love to host you for a tour of our unique facilities where you can meet some of our exceptional staff of educators. Let’s see how we can partner together to prepare your student to thrive at Francis Parker.

Schedule a Tour

Ready to get started?

Start an application and schedule a placement test for your child today. We’ll be with you for every step. We look forward to stewarding your child through their educational journey at Francis Parker School of Louisville.

Start your Application