Larson Scholarship

The Jack Larson Scholarship was established in 2008 to support MBA and undergraduate Haas students interested in an entrepreneurial career. The Lester Center wishes to thank Jack Larson for his ongoing contribution to entrepreneurship education.

Information on Undergraduate Scholarships
Information on Graduate Scholarships
Current Recipients
About Jack Larson

Information on MBA/Graduate Scholarships

The MBA scholarship recipients are selected and notified by the MBA admissions office prior to the academic year.

Information on Undergraduate Scholarships

The Jack Larson Scholarship was established in 2008 to support undergraduate Haas students in their entrepreneurial efforts. For the 2011-12 academic year, five awards of up to $2250 each will be given to outstanding undergraduate students interested in entrepreneurship and who have shown a great need for support because of family hardship or who have overcome obstacles to be admitted to Haas. A faculty & staff committee will make the selections based on academic achievements, entrepreneurial experience, career goals, and financial need.

Criteria for Jack Larson Scholarship

Students must have at least one semester of study remaining towards their undergraduate degree. A faculty & staff committee will make the selections based on academic achievements, entrepreneurial experience, career goals, and financial need.

Financial need will be a factor in final selection. Candidates must demonstrate financial need or indicate if they will be receiving support from other sources, i.e., fellowships, work, grants, etc. It is the intention of the fellowships that any awarded funds be applied towards the student's direct educational expenses (i.e., tuition, books, etc.).

Application Information

Your completed application should contain:

Resume – Please include an updated copy of your resume that includes the following information: Full Name, Mailing Address, City/State/Zip Code, Contact Phone Number, and Email.
One Letter of Recommendation – The recommendation should specifically evaluate your entrepreneurial qualities and can be from an instructor or employer. The letter should be submitted in a sealed and signed envelope.
Statement of Interest in an Entrepreneurial Career & Financial Need
- Describe your career goals and entrepreneurial aspirations, as well as the contributions of your undergraduate program, specifically entrepreneurship courses and entrepreneurship activities to the fulfillment of your goals. Indicate how the fellowship will help you achieve your personal and professional goals.
- Please demonstrate your financial need or indicate if you are or will be receiving support from other sources, i.e., fellowships, work, grants, etc.

Please limit your response to two pages, single-spaced, in 12-point font with one inch margins.

Application Deadlines

Applications are due Friday, November 4, 2011 by 5:00 PM. All materials, other than letters of recommendation, can be submitted via email to lester@haas.berkeley.edu. You can also submit a hard copy by US post, private carrier, or drop off at the reception desk at the Lester Center (F450) at the Haas School. Letters of recommendation should be hand delivered in a sealed envelope or mailed to the following address:

Jill Erbland
ATTN: Jack Larson Scholarship
Lester Center for Entrepreneurship
Haas School of Business #1930
Berkeley CA 94720

Recipients will be notified in early December and will have the opportunity to meet Mr. Larson at a later date, in addition to being recognized at the Lester Center Annual Dinner in May 2012.

Undergraduate Scholarship Recipients:

2010-11:

Reeta Banerjee
Brittany Deyan
Aditya Mahesh
Alicia Salmeron

Emily Tung

2009-10:

Laura Grandbois
Sandy Lin
Ryan Theimer
Behzad Reyhan

2008-09:

Justin Amey
Doreen Bloch
Ashley Pao
Mario Alejandro Restrepo
Eugene Shenkar
Cailin Trinh

MBA Scholarship Recipients:

2010-11:

Bryan Mao, MBA 2011
Diego Prieto, MBA 2012
Robbie Bhathal, MBA 2012

2009-10:

Amanda Walker Murnane, MBA 2010
Raimundo Silva, MBA 2010
Bryan Mao, MBA 2011

2008-09:

Amanda Walker Murnane
Raimundo Silva

About Jack Larson

Jack Larson

John M. Larson is the sole sponsor of the Larson Scholarships.

In 1994, Larson founded Career Education Corporation, currently the one of the largest for-profit education companies in the United States. Under his leadership, the company's annual revenues surpassed $2 billion in less than 12 years, and achieved a compound annual growth rate of 44 percent in the last five years. Career Education Corporation was ranked fourth on FORTUNE magazine's 2003 list of the 100 Fastest-Growing Companies, and first in the for-profit sector. CEC also ranked in the Top 20 of the 2003 "Hot Growth Companies" as measured by BusinessWeek magazine. Larson's guidance drove the acquisition of gold standard brands such as Brooks Institute of Photography and Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America and the expansion of on-site and online educational offerings throughout the U.S., France, the United Kingdom, Dubai and Canada. In 2000, Larson was named Ernst & Young's "Entrepreneur of the Year" for the Illinois and northwestern Indiana region in the service category. Larson has recently been named as one of the first inductees to the Hall of Fame at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

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