What would being a president’s scholar at temple get me, besides the scholarship? Does that allow for easier access to research and volunteer opportunities etc.?
President’s scholar would give you easier access to research FUNDING, I’m not sure about the research part itself. I think that largely depends on what your department/major offers. I will be in bioengineering, which has tons of research opportunities. I also heard all about the research other students from various departments have participated in–including interdisciplinary research across multiple departments–so I really think that there are plenty of options for everyone.
Being a President’s Scholar usually corresponds with an Honors invitation. In my opinion, this is where the real gold is. You get access to the lounge (free printing), the Honors dorm (suite style rooms; only 4 people have to share one bathroom), Honors classes, Honors advising/support, and just the general Honors name brand. Temple is a huge school, with its student body approaching 40,000, but the Honors college has under 3,000 students. Thus, Honors students get lots of individual attention. They are very accomplished people who go on to do great things. I heard about one Honors student this year who was offered a full ride scholarship to the Uni of Maryland’s med school (scholarships for med school are extremely rare). Others have had reputable internships, amazing research opportunities (I think one student recently got to do some summer research at Harvard), and great grad school acceptances.
I highly recommend you attend an Experience Temple day. All of my expectations about my major, the President’s scholarship, and the Honors college were exceeded. It is a vibrant place with lots of school spirit, plenty of opportunities, and a niche for pretty much anyone.
Best of luck!