Student Commencement Speaker Opportunity
You can apply to be the voice of your graduating class! One undergraduate student speaker is selected to address attendees at each IU Bloomington Commencement ceremony. There is one held in December (Winter Commencement) and one in May (Spring Commencement).
The selected speaker will be seated on stage with the other members of the platform party during the IU Bloomington Undergraduate Commencement ceremony and will give a 3-5 minute speech (approximately 500-750 words). IU will provide assistance with speech development and editing.
Application materials include:
- One essay question (No more than 300 words)
- Cumulative IU GPA
- Draft of speech
- Two letters of recommendation, one from IU faculty
Recommendation letters can be submitted in two ways. Students may upload letters of recommendation to their application or students may share this separate form with recommenders to submit letters on the student's behalf.
A selection committee with representation from the faculty, staff, and student body will review applications, interview a number of candidates, and determine finalists.
Now accepting applications for the Winter Commencement Student Speaker.
Application deadline: Friday, October 17, 2025
Applications for the Spring Commencement Student Speaker will open in February 2026.