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Congratulations on choosing Relay as one of your potential schools! We’re looking forward to receiving your application. While much of the application is self-explanatory, some fields have special requirements. This article breaks the application down section by section and explains what, if any, special conditions exist for those fields.
In this article:
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Overview of the Application Process
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Introduction and Personal Background
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Personal Details
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Prior Education
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Educational Background
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Recommendation
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Essay
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Affirmations
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Review and Submit
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Program and Instructional Role Form
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Awards and Scholarships Form
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Getting help with your application
Overview of the Application Process
Relay’s application process will require you to submit information about yourself, your past education, and your upcoming employment. In addition to the application itself, you’ll be asked to complete checklist items. You’ll also have a Status page available to monitor when requested items have been received, and to track your application. You can get an overview of the admissions process here: [LINK NEEDED, “What is Relay’s admissions process?”]
Introduction and Personal Background
In the Introduction section, you’ll read more about the program-aligned instructional role requirement, as well as picking the location you’re applying to.
On the Personal Background page, you will be asked contact and demographic questions.
Name:
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Please inform us if you have a different or previous last name as it will assist us in matching any documents we receive to your application. Do not list your current last name as your previous last name.
Addresses:
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Permanent Address: This will be your official address as a student in our records. Please ensure this address is valid beyond May of 2024.
Telephone Numbers:
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Your most used number is required. If your phone numbers are the same, please only list your mobile number.
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If you provide your mobile number, you will receive important text messages from your Prospective Student Advisor.
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You do not need to input your Daytime number.
Biographical Information:
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All applicants are required to provide information about their citizenship and either a social security number (SSN) or an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN).
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For reporting purposes, applicants may provide race and ethnicity information.
Personal Details
On the Personal Details page, you’ll be asked to provide more information about yourself.
Emergency Contact:
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Please ensure that you provide the first and last name of your emergency contact. Do not list yourself.
Work History & Resume:
Please upload your resume as a PDF. Please review to ensure that it contains your name and is legible. If you need support updating your resume, check out this resource.
Prior Education
In the prior education section, you’ll be asked to provide information about your educational history. Please fill out all the details for each institution attended. In order to apply to Relay, you’ll need to disclose this information.
Level of Study:
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Make sure that at least one institution that you list has Undergraduate listed as the level of study. This is where you received your bachelor's degree. You may select "undergraduate or graduate" for any other institution attended depending on the level of study.
Degree:
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You will want to make sure that at least one institution that you list has Bachelor's listed on the Degree drop-down menu.
Date Conferred or Expected:
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Applicants must indicate that they have earned or will earn their bachelor's degree by January 1st, 2026 for Spring applicants.
Educational Background
On the Educational Background page, you’ll be asked to read and agree to our Provisional Admissions Policy, and provide information about any institutions you’ve attended outside of the U.S.
Prior Education Details:
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Please answer "Yes" if your bachelor's degree has been conferred and you can provide Relay a transcript that shows that you have earned your bachelor's degree.
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Please answer "No" if you are in the process of completing the requirements for your bachelor's degree, or if your transcripts do not currently show that you have earned your bachelors degree.
Provisional Admissions Policy:
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This policy explains that Relay requires all applications to provide an official transcript that demonstrates you have earned your Bachelor’s degree. If you are admitted to Relay with your bachelor's degree in progress (Provisional Admission to Outstanding Bachelor's Degree),you must submit this transcript before you will be allowed to register or start coursework.
Learn more about our Conditional Admissions Policy here.
GPA Information:
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Each state has different requirements for GPA necessary to be accepted.
International Institutions:
This section will appear if you have indicated that you attended an institution of higher education outside of the United States. Learn more about applying to Relay as an international applicant here.
Recommendation
In the Recommendation section, you’ll be asked to provide the contact information for someone who will submit a recommendation on their behalf. Your recommender should be someone who has been a manager/supervisor, colleague, or professor in an academic, employment, or community service context. Your recommender cannot be a future employer.
Before you save:
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Saving your answers on the recommendation section generates an automatic email to your recommender. Confirm the email address you entered is correct and up-to-date.
After you save:
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Your recommender will receive an email with a link to our online form. The form contains a few short questions about their experience working with you. The recommender also has the option to upload a recommendation letter.
Once the recommendation has been submitted:
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Recommendations automatically appear as “Received” after your recommender submits their form (if your program requires recommendations).
Note: If you are a Teach For America Corps Members, you will NOT need to submit recommendations. This requirement has already been satisfied in the TFA application process.
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Essay
On the Essay page, you’ll be asked to answer three essay questions. Please respond to them all.
Questions:
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What does it mean to you to be an educator who effectively connects with and supports all students?
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How would you ensure that your teaching practices meet the needs of learners with varying needs?
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How have your personal experiences and background shaped your approach to engaging and supporting students with different perspectives and learning styles?
Length:
Please make sure that you fully answer the essay prompt. Responses should be 300-1500 words.
Tips for writing:
When writing your application, we recommend:
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Read the questions thoroughly
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Ensure your answers are clearly and thoughtfully worded
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Show your passion and make it personal
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State your answer and connect all details to support your reason
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Read it aloud to catch opportunities for revisions
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Utilize spelling and grammar programs, a writing center, and/or a friend to edit.
Affirmations
On the Affirmations page, you’ll be asked to agree to various statements regarding your application and the use of the information in it.
You’ll be asked to:
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Confirm the accuracy of the information you provided, permission to communicate regarding your application to partner organizations
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Give permission to send updates via text message
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Confirm that you understand that you must provide Relay with an official transcript that demonstrates you have earned your bachelor's degree (and official transcripts for all other institutions of higher education) on or before the deadline.
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Confirm your adherence to Relay's community standards.
Signature:
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Please ensure that you input your full name in the Signature box.
Review and Submit
On the Review and Submit page, you will be able to see if there are any sections of the application that require your attention.
Resolving errors:
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If you click on the Section, it will bring you to the page where your attention is required.
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Once you have remedied any errors that appear, or if there are no errors present, please click on Submit Application to submit.
Program and Instructional Role Form
Once your application is submitted, you’ll be redirected to your Admissions checklist page, where you may need to provide additional information. You may see two separate checklists:
Application Checklist: Where you can track the submission of your recommendation
Admissions Checklist(s): If you are applying for admission to both Relay as an institution of higher education (to pursue your master's degree) and Relay as an educator preparation program (to pursue certification/licensure), you will see two checklists — one for each point of admission.
Please start with the Program & Instructional Role Form. Additional forms will appear within a few hours of submitting it. On the Program & Instructional Role Form, you will be asked to input your program, endorsement area, and instructional role information.
Program Details:
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Provide Relay with the state where you will be teaching and living while enrolled at Relay.
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Indicate whether you are a member of any partnering organizations. Please pay special care to the descriptions of these organizations to ensure you answer the question correctly.
Relay Teaching Residency (for applicants not in New York), Program Pathway (for applicants in New York):
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For this section, you will want to know details about your instructional role. Check with your School Leader if you are unsure.
Relay Program Outcomes:
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Answer Yes if you plan on pursuing certification/licensure through Relay.
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Answer No if you are not planning on pursuing certification/licensure through Relay.
Guide to Program Outcomes
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Relay Program Selection
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See our Program Offerings on your Location Page for more information about the different programs offered in your state.
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Make sure to make a selection for every question that is asked as this will determine the programs you may apply to.
Instructional Role:
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Your program and instructional role should be aligned (i.e., if you are teaching 2nd grade, you should choose an Elementary program option). If you have been hired and are unsure about your instructional role, please connect with your employer and do not submit the form until you get clarity on what your role is so that it aligns with your program.
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If you have not been hired yet, you may submit the instructional role information as "unknown."
Selecting Your Program:
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You should choose the option that best describes the program you intend to pursue at Relay. If you are unsure of what program to select, please confer with your Employer or Prospective Student Advisor.
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Please carefully consider your certification/licensure area or endorsement selection, as it will determine the course content. Your certification/licensure area or endorsement should align with 1) your instructional role, 2) your certification pathway (the content you select will determine the content course you will be enrolled in), and 3) your program criteria.
Instructional Details
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Please indicate if you have secured an instructional role that complies with the admissions criteria for your program.
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Answer "No" if you have not yet been hired by a District/Network. Please connect with a partner school at your location to solidify a role as soon as possible.
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Answer "Yes" if you have already been hired by a District/Network. Be ready to provide information about your District/Network, the specific school at which you will be teaching, as well as the specific grade level and subject that you will be teaching.
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For the question, "At which school will you be working in 2025-26?" type the full name of the school in the box provided. If your school populates in the box, click to add the school to your application. If you are unsure, please leave the section blank.
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If you are new to the teaching profession, your employment and educator career likely both start this upcoming summer (2025).
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Awards and Scholarships Form
When your Awards and Scholarships form populates, you’ll be asked to input any external scholarships or awards you received and include the amount.
FAFSA and TEACH Grant
The FAFSA and TEACH Grant processes are external to the Relay application. While highly recommended, applicants do NOT need to submit the FAFSA prior to filling out the Awards & Scholarships form. Please submit this form with your current awards and/or scholarships. Any awards via the FAFSA will be reported to Relay once you are enrolled.
For Awards or Scholarships, including Teach for America (TFA):
- TFA corps members who have already received a Segal Award prior to entering Relay should respond "Yes".
- TFA corps members who are going to earn one at the end of the upcoming academic year should respond "No".
- Then you’ll be asked if you’ve served in an AmeriCorps program before summer 2025. TFA corps members who have not previously served as AmeriCorps members should answer "No".
Veteran Status
- Indicate yes here if you are an active duty, veteran, or dependent/spouse of an active duty service member or veteran.
- We are working to gain re-authorization for Veteran’s Benefits for the 2026-2027 school year. If you are eligible for VA Benefits and once your program has been re-authorized through Veterans Affairs, Relay will invite you to submit a benefits request form to Relay. Veterans Affairs may be able to answer questions directly about your eligibility and/or if retroactive benefits are available. You may learn more about Veteran Benefits here.
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Getting Help With Your Application
We know the application process can be complex, and we’re here to help. If you’re unsure what to enter at any point in the application process, or have clarifying questions you need answered:
- Email us: [email protected]
- Schedule a 1:1 appointment: https://rly.gs/admissionsteam
