MOVE Application
Application FAQS
Who can apply to the MOVE Summit?
While the event is open to and intended to support all students with disabilities from across the Commonwealth, the program is oriented to provide support to African American males with disabilities, ages 14-21. Each youth must apply separately – please do not put two names on one application, even if they are siblings.
Should my child apply?
Do parents need to apply?
Parents do not apply for MOVE. Only youth apply, if accepted, their parents are accepted as well. Parents attend separate parent sessions that happen at the same time as the youth sessions. If you have more than one youth applying, please make sure they fill out separate applications.
What should I prepare before starting an application?
There are a few things that are helpful to have ready before you start the application process:
- Working email address – All communication, including acceptance and denial letters, is sent through email. Please make sure that you use an email address that is working and that you can access easily. Also, make sure you enter the email address carefully when prompted so that our communication gets to you. Some school systems block outside emails, so if you are using a student email address, please make sure that your school does not block emails that come in from outside of their division. We suggest that you use a personal email address if you have one.
- Demographic information – Your address, phone number, email address, and school information (if still attending school) is all part of the application information. The same goes for your parent/guardian. Having this information ready will allow you to complete your application faster.
- Essay Responses – See below for more information.
What happens once I submit my application?
Once you click submit, you will automatically receive a confirmation email stating that we have received your application. At this point, your application is complete, and we have everything we need to begin processing it. After the application team has processed all applications, you will be notified by email whether you were accepted or not.
I didn’t receive a confirmation email. What should I do?
There are usually two reasons this might happen:
- Your email system is not allowing it to come through. Check your Spam or Junk folder to see if it is there. If you don’t see it there, your email system may have blocked it completely. This sometimes happens when using student email addresses from school divisions.
Please contact us at info@imdetermined.org
- The email address that you provided was not entered correctly. If this is the case, we need to correct your email address.
Contact us at info@imdetermined.org
Can I receive assistance when filling out the application?
Yes, we encourage youth with all ability levels to apply and understand that some individuals will need assistance or accommodations when filling out the application. For the essay portion, we do want to see youth-generated work. This doesn’t mean that the youth performed each task necessary to complete the essay, but that the answers provided represent who they are.
Can you tell me more about the essay?
First off, don’t let the word essay fool you! You are simply answering a few questions so that we can get to know you better (we don’t count off for spelling, grammar, etc.). Having your essay answers ready ahead of time will allow you to apply much faster. We encourage you to answer your essay questions in one of two ways:
- In a word processing document, type your answers, save it, and then copy and paste your answers into the form so that you have a backup copy available. Each question has a 100-word limit, so think carefully about how you want to answer the question!
- Record a video or audio of yourself answering the questions. Save the recording, and upload it to an online storage folder (such as Google Drive or Dropbox). Copy the sharing link, and paste that link into the answer box. You can use 1 recording for all of your answers, or you can do separate recordings for each question. Each question has a 1-minute limit, so think carefully about how you want to answer the question! Anything beyond the 1-minute mark will not be scored as part of your application.
How are applications processed? Is it first-come, first served?
All applications that are received by the deadline are given to our review team after the application window has closed. Turning in your application early does not give any extra weight to your application. However, we do encourage you to apply as soon as you can. This will give you time to fill it out thoroughly without needing to rush, and will also allow time to fix any issues, should they occur. All applications are processed equally by our team, who looks for authenticity, completeness of each component, and for the application to represent the youth who is applying. No late applications will be accepted.