Applying for Affinity Programs
If you are considering applying for an affinity program, you may have questions regarding the program and how it differs from a general AMGA program. We tried to compile commonly asked questions from members and provide further explanations.
Do you have to be a member in order to apply for an affinity program?
The AMGA is a membership-based nonprofit, meaning our membership is a key stakeholder and sustainer of our organization. Membership dues go directly back to our organization. We strive to create membership benefits as a “thank you” for supporting the organization. Perks can include pro deals, insurance, and scholarships including affinity programs. In order to apply and be considered for an affinity program, you must have a current membership. Your membership must be active in order to apply to courses and keep your certifications valid.
What is the application process?
The main application typically consists of a google form that intakes important information and essay questions to learn more about the candidate, including their climbing resume and professional goals. In addition, if you are applying for a Mountain Guide Program you will complete a program application via your My AMGA. We recommend that each essay question have a response of 250-500 words for each question and that you make sure to answer the question. Shorter responses typically do not allow our review committee to fully get to know the candidate and understand their desire to be in an affinity space.
Once your application is submitted, we wait until the deadline to process the application. We then remove all personal information and send them off to our review committee, they use a rubric to evaluate the applications. Finally, each applicant is reviewed twice by different members of the review committee.
What do scholarships cover?
Every affinity program has a sponsor that supports the sustainability of the program and it looks different from program to program. At a minimum, each SPI program will have the course fees covered, typically $400-550, with a potential for other barriers covered such as travel stipends and gear support. Again, this will differ from program to program. For MGP affinity programs, a scholarship will be provided to offset full program cost and can range from $2,000-2,5000 depending on program to program. You will provide more information once you are accepted into a program.
How will this affinity program differ from a general program?
The content and curriculum are the same as each program has the required hours of curriculum to cover. The additional resources and structure include community conversation when a community partner is supporting the course, this is disclosed on our website. We strive to maintain the space as an affinity space, thus we try our best to find instructors who share an affinity with the community the program is intended to serve. Additionally, if we work with photographers or other support, we work to maintain the sanctity of the affinity space.
