Walter A. Hunt, Jr. Scholarship

Single award in the amount of $10,000 per year for two years*. After recipients complete their first year, they will submit a transcript, a recommendation from a professor, and a reflection of the year to the committee for the second year disbursement.

Recipients also have the opportunity to be mentored by a committee of Walter A. Hunt’s colleagues to bolster their education and career in architecture if they so choose.

*Awards may vary depending on the quality of applications and candidate pool.

To promote and encourage the study of architecture by New York City public high school students through a two-year scholarship to supplement tuition and related costs during their freshman and sophomore years at a NAAB-accredited school of architecture in the U.S.

Applicants must be current New York City public high school seniors who have been accepted to a 5-year Bachelor of Architecture program at a NAAB-accredited School of Architecture in the U.S. Students at NYC Charter High Schools are eligible. Students at private, parochial or other schools where tuition is charged are not eligible. Applicants must provide a digital copy of their final graduation high school transcript in order to accept the award.

The second year of the scholarship funding is dependent on demonstrated successful completion of the student’s first year.

The following application materials must be submitted using the online form:

• Essay: Not exceeding 500 words. Why are you interested in studying architecture? Consider including: your favorite building in New York City, a specific life experience which piqued your architectural interest, how you would see yourself as an architect impacting your community, or how you would see yourself as an architect impacting the environment
• Portfolio: Applicants are encouraged to submit the portfolio which had been previously submitted to the Bachelor of Architecture program they are pursuing, if applicable. The digital portfolio must consist of at least 3-4 pieces of the student’s own visual art, design, or architecture work, though applicants may submit additional work if they feel it is relevant to their application. Projects may be 2-D or 3-D, and can be both finished and/or in-process projects. If a group project is submitted, the student must indicate their role in the project.
• High School Transcript: Students must submit their most recent high school transcript as part of the application. Submission of a final graduation transcript, when available, will be required in order to accept the award.
• College Acceptance Letter: Students must submit proof of acceptance to a five-year Bachelor of Architecture program at one of the NAAB-accredited schools of architecture in the U.S. This must be in the form of a college acceptance letter. Other schools or programs other than architecture within these universities are not eligible for this scholarship.
• Two Letters of Recommendation: Applicants are encouraged to submit the recommendation letters previously submitted to the Bachelor of Architecture program they are pursuing. Recommendations cannot be from a relative of the student and should speak to the student’s character, promise, skills, and the likelihood of success in a college architecture program. All letters of recommendation must be signed and on letterhead.
  • One recommendation letter must be from a teacher in their high school;
  • The second may be from an employer, person in the field of architecture or other adult.
• Note: A bio section is included in the application. Applicants are encouraged to expand upon their journey to architecture in this section.
• There is no application fee.

All application materials must be submitted electronically as PDF documents using the online form. Application Materials should be saved as PDF’s with the following titles:

• Cover Page: Walter Hunt Scholarship Cover Page – Applicant’s Last Name
• Essay: Walter Hunt Scholarship Essay – Applicant’s Last Name
• Portfolio: Walter Hunt Scholarship Portfolio – Applicant’s Last Name
• High School Transcript: Walter Hunt Scholarship High School Transcript – Applicant’s Last Name
• College Acceptance Letter: Walter Hunt Scholarship College Acceptance Letter – Applicant’s Last Name
• Two Letters of Recommendation: Recommendation: Walter Hunt Scholarship Recommendation – Applicant’s Last Name.

1. Do applications need to be post-marked by the deadline?
All application materials, included letters of recommendation sent directly by the recommender to scholarships@centerforarchitecture.org, must be RECEIVED electronically by the stated deadline.

2. Is it possible to extend the deadline based on personal extenuating circumstances?
Please email scholarships@centerforarchitecture.org if you are unable to meet the deadline due to extenuating circumstances.

3. Can I submit my New York City public high school transcripts after the deadline?
Students should submit their most recent high school transcript as part of the application. Final graduation transcripts will be required in order to disburse the award.

4. Can letters of recommendation be sent separately from the application?
Yes, recommendation letters may be sent separately, directly from the recommender, to scholarships@centerforarchitecture.org.

5. Can I hand-deliver my application?
Please submit all application materials digitally using the online form by May 26 at 5pm.

6. I attend a Charter high school or have been home-schooled in NYC. Am I eligible?
Yes, Charter schools are considered a type of public school. Students who attend private, parochial or other schools where tuition is charged are not eligible. Home-schooled students are also eligible and should provide a transcript equivalent with their application.

7. I graduated from a NYC public high school a year (or more) ago and am currently enrolled in a NAAB-accredited school of architecture. Am I eligible?
No, this scholarship is only open to current high school students who will be entering the first year of an Architecture program. However, students already in an architecture college or graduate school program may be eligible for our Center for Architecture Design Scholarship and the Allwork Scholarship.

8. What does NAAB-accredited mean?
It is “The National Architectural Accrediting Board,” the only agency in the US that is authorized to accredit professional architecture programs. Click here for more information.

9. I have been accepted to a non NAAB-accredited school of architecture, am I eligible?
No, the scholarship is only valid for students accepted to a 5-year Bachelor of Architecture program at a NAAB-accredited school.

10. I have been accepted to an eligible school, but will be studying engineering or a related design field other than architecture. Am I eligible?
No, this scholarship is only for students entering B.Arch programs.

11. Do applicants need to submit documentation of financial need?
No.

12. Is it possible to review the submissions of past recipients?
No, but you can read more about our recent recipient here.

13. What is the schedule of notification?
Applicants will be notified approximately 6-8 weeks after the application deadline.

14. Can applicants submit an electronic portfolio that is more than 5 MB?
No, 5 MB is the maximum size permitted.

In March 2012, the retirement of Walter A. Hunt, Jr. FAIA, Vice Chairman Emeritus of the Architecture and Design Firm, Gold Gensler was celebrated with a fundraiser that raised $150,000. Principal contributors included the Gensler Foundation, partners and staff at Gensler, and the Hunt family.

To honor Walter Hunt’s dedication to the field of architecture, this fund was used to establish a scholarship to assist New York City public high school students pursuing a degree in architecture at an NAAB-accredited school of architecture in the U.S.

The scholarship was named the Walter A. Hunt, Jr. Scholarship because of Walter Hunt’s wish to specifically support New York City public high school students.

The first scholarship was awarded in Spring 2014.

2024
Obadiah Anthony McMillan, 2024 graduate of the Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design, and Julia Chang, 2024 graduate of Townsend High School, will both begin the B. Arch program at the Cooper Union. Their scholarship will go toward their freshman year. Nico Ottaviani, 2024 graduate of Midwood High School, will begin the B.Arch program at the Pratt Institute. His scholarship will go toward his freshman and sophomore years.

2023
Vasily Chumakov, 2023 graduate of the High School of Art and Design, and Helena Uceda, 2023 graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, will both begin the B. Arch program at the Cooper Union. Their scholarship will go toward their freshman and sophomore year.

2022
Bailey Lee, 2022 graduate of Bronx High School of Science, will begin her five-year B. Arch program at the Pratt Institute, her scholarship will go toward her freshman and sophomore year.

Leah Alfred from Edward R. Murrow High School will pursue a five-year B. Arch program at Cooper Union. She will use her Honor Award in tuition support towards her freshman year. 

Leah Solomon, a graduate of Edward R. Murrow High School, will begin her five-year B. Arch program at the Pratt Institute and received an Honorable Award for tuition support during her freshman year. 

Maylin Rosales from Brooklyn Technical High School will pursue a five-year B. Arch program at City College of New York. She will use her Honor Award in tuition support towards her freshman year. 

2021
Nozima Nurullaeva, 2021 graduate of Stuyvesant High School, will begin her five-year B. Arch program at the Pratt Institute, her scholarship will go toward her freshman and sophomore year.

Brittanie Chen from Brooklyn Technical High School will pursue a five-year B. Arch program at Cornell University. She will use her scholarship in tuition support towards her freshman and sophomore year. 

Md Hoque, a graduate of Stuyvesant High School, will attend Syracuse University for a B. Arch and received an Honorable Mention Award for tuition support during his freshman year. 

2020
The 2020 winner was Jessica Kim, a graduate of Stuyvesant High School who will use the scholarship for the B.Arch program at Cornell University AAP. The 2020 honorable mention was Amanda Gomez, a graduate of the High School of Art and Design, who will use the scholarship for the B.Arch program at the California College of the Arts.

2019
The 2019 winner was Reginald Huggins, who will use the scholarship for his 5 year B.Arch program at Howard University.

2018
The 2018 winner was Sarah Saad, who will use the scholarship for her 5 year B.Arch program at Cooper Union.

2017
The 2017 winner was Ryo Ishioka, who will use the scholarship for his 5 year B.Arch program at Syracuse University.

2016
The 2016 winner was Victoria Clarke, who will use the scholarship for her 5 year B.Arch program at Cornell University.

2015
The 2015 winner was Ivan Vuckovic, who will use the scholarship for his 5 year B.Arch program at Pratt Institute.

2014
The 2014 winner was Farzana Anika, who will use the scholarship for her 5 year B.Arch program at Pratt Institute.