Submitting an ELF Portfolio

1. Your portfolio length should be 50 to 75 double-spaced pages.
2. Use a standard font at either 12 or 14 point.
3. The reflective introduction should be at least 2 to 3 pages but no more than 5 pages; the introduction should discuss the themes and aims of your stories but also offer some description of your interests and goals as a writer; try to answer the question, “Why do I write?”
4. Number the pages of the portfolio sequentially from 1 to 50-75; do not begin renumbering each story or chapter.
5. Include a table of contents listing your introduction and stories/chapters by their correct page numbers.
6. Do not use a running title or name at the top of your pages.
7. Let your recommenders know that they can either send their recommendations by email or to a street address. If sending their recommendations by email, have them sent to: elf@tcu.edu. If sending them via US Postal Service, have them sent to:
   Attn: ELF Scholarship Recommendation
   TCU English Department
   TCU Box 297270
   Fort Worth, TX 76129
8. Ask your recommenders to comment on the writing you are submitting as well as your overall performance as a student.
9. Ensure that your portfolio and recommendations are received by the deadline, Friday, December 5, 2025, at 5 p.m.

Your portfolio must be submitted to the elf@tcu.edu email as PDF or Word documents.

2026 Recipient

Sam Everett

2026 ELF Recipient Sam Everett was born in Grapevine, Texas and is pursuing dual degrees in English and sociology with minors in data analytics and honors and a concentration in global studies. At TCU, he serves as editor-in-chief of The Boller Review Journal and is involved with local government and advocacy groups. He hopes to use his background to eventually work in civil rights law, tech policy, or nonprofit communications while pursuing creative writing. His perpetually-in-progress novels explore themes of liminality and the feeling of being trapped, particularly for queer characters, always with elements of fantasy and the eerie feeling of something more around the corner.