Students

The Daniel Murphy Scholarship Foundation (DMSF) was started in 1989 to provide educational opportunities to Chicagoland students who, without financial assistance, would not have the chance to attend high-performing private high schools outside their zip code.

Each year, 125 eight-graders are selected to receive the scholarship, and if chosen get to pick any parochial and day schools in Chicago or boarding schools across the U.S.

Since its inception, DMSF has awarded more than 2,400 students with scholarships.

The initial application requires THREE distinct portions to be filed by the student, a parent, and the student's teacher and principal or guidance counselor. Students answer short questions and two long essays on academic aspirations and personal goals, parents must both respond to questions and provide financial information, and school staff must complete recommendation forms and submit report card and standardized test results. 

Following review, select students are asked for an interview with their parents, where students meet with three panels of members from the DMSF Education Department and will receive a decision two weeks after submission.

APPLY HERE

Every summer, a large group of seventh and eighth graders get to take a summer trip to the Great Smoky Mountains by airplane, flying into the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. From there they hop on a bus and ride 200 miles north toward the mountains that reside on the Tennessee-North Carolina boarder. 

The trip is filled with hiking and exploring at local state parks, collecting nature samples along trails, and zip lining!