Profile of Prospective Candidates for Nationally Prestigious Awards
Key words describing strong candidates:
INVOLVED, LEADERSHIP, DEDICATION, EXCELLENCE, ORIGINAL, MATURE, SELF-MOTIVATED
Key phrases in assessing overall performance:
DEPTH IS AS IMPORTANT AS BREADTH; CAN DEMONSTRATE VISION TOWARD BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
Characteristics of an Outstanding Student:
- PARTICIPATION IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
- Community involvement and outreach
- PARTICIPATES IN PROJECTS, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND THE CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE
- Undergraduate research grant recipients, or involved independently in department research
- Global perspective; either through study abroad or other foreign language, international interest and experience
- Positions such as Community Advisors, Residence Advisors, Teaching Assistants, Mentors, etc.
- DEMONSTRATES LEADERSHIP
- ENGAGED in activities, takes an active role (though NOT necessarily bearing a title of an official person)
- BALANCES scholastic achievement with athletic training, community involvement, leadership positions, etc (many scholarship awards have high GPA requirements, others less so, but solid grades count!)
- CONTRIBUTES FINANCIALLY TOWARD EDUCATION
- Employed while attending school – while many scholarship opportunities are merit-based, some have financial need criteria. Students who balance classwork, other activities and a job are good candidates.
Other factors contributing toward competitive candidates:
- DIVERSITY (member of an underrepresented group such as disabled or minority student)
- UNIQUE STORY (e.g., overcame some kind of adversity; founded an organization, initiative to help address a social problem, etc.)
- PUBLISHED (or other comparable accomplishment)
- RECOGNIZED (won other awards, honors, etc.)
