Onsi Sawiris Scholarship Program 2008-09

Onsi Sawiris Scholarship Program 2008-09 Frequently Asked Questions About the Onsi Sawiris Scholarship Program What organization runs the scholarship program? The Onsi Sawiris Scholarship is a program sponsored by the ORASCOM Construction Industries (OCI) Foundation. The scholarship fund is channeled through the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development. The America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST) - Egypt administers the selection of applicants and placement process of the scholarship recipients. AMIDEAST/Washington D.C. administers the monitoring process of students who are enrolled in the U.S. universities. What is the OCI Foundation? OCI was founded by Eng. Onsi Sawiris in 1976. It is a leading cement producer and construction contractor active in emerging markets. OCI is based in Cairo, Egypt and employs more than 40,000 people in 20 countries. OCI also invests in natural gas industries and currently has two Greenfield projects in Egypt and Algeria under development for the production of ammonia and urea respectively. Why is OCI Foundation sponsoring this program? OCI launched the Onsi Sawiris Scholarship Program in the year 2000 to invest company resources in educational programs to improve the communities in which it works. Through the Onsi Sawiris Scholarship program, the OCI Foundation provides full tuition scholarships to Egyptian graduate students interested in pursuing their master’s degrees in prestigious U.S. universities in fields that will enhance the economic prosperity in Egypt and further development of the Egyptian economy. For how long has the scholarship program being run? The Onsi Sawiris Scholarship Program has been running for six consecutive years. Eligibility Criteria & Application Procedures Who is eligible to apply to this scholarship program? Applicants need to:        Fulfill the test and documentation requirements of the scholarship program Be Egyptian nationals, who are resident of Egypt (preference will be given to non-holders of dual nationality) Be planning on pursuing their master’s degree in one of the top five universities in the United States in the field of Business Administration or Construction Management Be prepared to depart for study in the United States in the academic year 2008 Be committed to coming back to Egypt for two years upon the completion of their master’s degree program Have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.5/4.0 or Very Good (overall grade) Have been involved or currently involved in extra-curricular activities. (applicants should be able to provide proof of participation in extracurricular activities when required) What are the tests and minimum test scores required for the scholarship program?    All applicants must take and submit the score of the Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Computer-based test or Internet-based Test (iBT) Applicants interested in pursuing a master’s degree in Business Administration must take and submit the score of the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) Applicants interested in pursuing a master’s degree in Construction Management must take and submit the score of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Minimum scores required:     TOEFL CBT : 250 or above TOEFL iBT : 100 or above GMAT : 650 or above GRE : 1000 or above (in the Verbal & Quantitative sections) & 4.5 or above (in the Analytical section of the exam) What are the documentations required for the scholarship program? Applicants must submit the following:        Completed Onsi Sawiris Scholarship program application form and scholarship essay Most recent résume Copy of university transcripts Copy of TOEFL CBT / iBT score report Copy of GRE score report (for Construction Management program applicants only) Copy of GMAT score report (for Business Administration program applicants only) Two recommendation letters from individuals able to evaluate the applicant’s job and/or academic performance When is the deadline to submit the application and application material? Hard copy applications must be submitted to AMIDEAST/Egypt by June 15, 2007 On-line applications must be completed and submitted by June 15, 2007 What are the scholarship application procedures? Applicants should: 1. 2. Pick up an application form from the AMIDEAST office in Cairo at the following address: 23 Mossadak Street, Dokki, Giza Submit the application form and documents required to the AMIDEAST office in Cairo before June 15, 2007 Or 1. 2. Download an application form at www.amideast.org/programs_services/advising/cairo/news/Orascom06-07.pdf Submit the application form and documents required to the AMIDEAST office in Cairo at the following address: 23 Mossadak Street, Dokki, Giza before June 15, 2007 Or 1. 2. 3. Apply on-line at www.amideast.org Scan the documents and upload them to the on-line application Submit application on-line before June 15, 2007 Notification of Candidates & Schedule of Program Events When and how will applicants be informed if they are accepted or not? Selected candidates will be contacted for interviews using the contact information in the application. Scholarship awards and decisions will be announced in September 2007. What is the schedule of events for the scholarship program?          June 15, 2007: Application deadline June 15, 2006-End of September 2007: Screening process of applications End of September, 2007: Selection of semi-finalists and personal interviews Mid of October, 2007: Notification and announcement of the award recipients During October, 2007: Program orientation for award recipients: an introduction to the program’s goals and provisions November 2007-April/May 2008: Placement process End of June/early July 2008: ORASCOM Award Ceremony During July, 2008: Pre-departure orientation During August, 2008: Departure of award recipients to the United States