<p>our scholars have diverse interests… elaborate on 2-3 accomplishments that show your passions, qualification…
I know the Robertson has at least somewhat more of an emphasis on leadership/community service rather than academics. So should I/do I have to write about accomplishments related to leadership?
which ones jump out at you:
national math contest
programming
HOBY leadership seminar, junior facilitator
found chess club
volunteer at hospital
recruit volunteers for special olympics
recruit volunteers for tutoring program</p>
<p>ps I know this scholarship is a big stretch for me, so please give me some advice!</p>
<p>aka i could phrase it as “helped organize tutoring program” because yes I did more than recruit</p>
<p>Which of those activities do you think had the biggest impact on you and your passion and potential to have a positive impact in the world? Write about those. Write about the ones that stand out the most to you and that you think most impacted you as a person, because that will come through in your essay.</p>
<p>yeah, your response is so TRUE yet not helpful. lol</p>
<p>meh, honestly none are standing out that much to be as “robertson” material. most robertsons/finalists founded an organization, a non-profit, or revitalized an already existing organization and did something BIG with it. maybe its because u simply didnt elaborate on your activities…if u do that maybe we can be of more assistance</p>
<p>nothing much to elaborate about, honestly. like i said, big stretch, huge stretch</p>
<p>Well the Robertson is a huge stretch for anyone…glad to see you are putting the effort in and doing the app! Be very clear in your essays HOW your activities benefit others, and how you were instrumental in organizing them. Make sure your passion shines through. This is your chance to gloat, so definitely highlight what you’re good at. You’ve gotta think you got somethin’ special if you’re even bothering with this app, so let 'em have it!</p>
<p>i was reading through the profiles of the scholars
they do some amazing things, dont get me wrong, but they weren’t as spectacular as I thought they would be after hearing what everyone else says about them</p>
<p>Yes, I completely agree. I’m friends with a good portion of the robbies due to being a finalist last year, and some of them have done some absolutely stellar things, but others have done not much more than be President of a club or something. But the overarching characteristic is that they all are <em>awesome</em> people. They all have their ***** together, know what they want, have clear goals for the future, and are very poised and compassionate people. They all write and speak and interview very well, and have been able to write and speak and interview very well about what they did, whatever it may be.</p>
<p>getouttabuffalo thanks for the reassuring post</p>
<p>you’re welcome, john. good luck on the app. if u have any more questions or want me to proofread anything, just PM me. I’m a pogue at UNC and was a finalist for the robertson. i’ll be able to give u some good hints. read over the thread about merit scholarships on here, too. me and my friend who was also a finalist and is a carolina scholar posted our detailed stats and advice about the apps and the process. read over that with a fine tooth comb.</p>
<p>I agree that sometimes the descriptions of what Robertsons have done can be somewhat overblown – and I say that being a UNC Robertson myself. GetOuttaBuffalo does a great job of expressing that sometimes it’s about so more than just a list of accomplishments, though - it’s about passion, potential, and drive.</p>
<p>That said, I’d also point out that, at least for the 2011 scholars, some of the website profiles can be misleading. They had us write our own this year and some of us (myself included) were rather modest because we weren’t given much direction on what to write about (whether to focus on why we accepted the scholarship, what we hope to do with it, or what we did in high school). </p>
<p>I talk about working with the media, for example, but don’t specifically mention having my work featured in Entertainment Weekly or being interviewed by The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. In a similar vein, I mention lobbying politicians but don’t specifically mention being asked to advise a sitting U.S. Senator on higher education policy, etc.</p>
<p>You should certainly apply. A lot of it rests on your ability to articulate the impact you’ve had through your past work and your ability to show your future potential. That’s why I asked those questions earlier about which had the most profound impact on you, even though I do realize they aren’t always helpful questions. It’s really important to be able to communicate your commitment and drive.</p>
<p>Thanks for the post thoughtprovoking
I did notice the shift from 3rd person in ealier years to first person in 2011 for the scholar profiles. It seems many of them used parts of their essays, and from that I noticed that, for the accomplishments essay, many of them wrote about a “real” accomplishment and then wrote about a personal accomplishment (such as becoming a vegetarian or garnering the galls to ride the scariest rollercoaster at Six Flags.) What do you think about writing about a personal accomplishment?</p>