What's available at Chicago vs. colleges in general

idad
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:56:25 +0000

newmassdad: I got that impression from this quote from a Maroon article a few years ago.

Due to the intense nature of the competition and the time commitment required, fewer students apply for the British scholarships than for other, less competitive programs.

The College has embarked on an aggressive campaign to encourage students to apply for awards like the U.S. Fulbright Scholarship. In recent years, the U of C has had increasing success with Fulbrights, as well as higher numbers of applicants.

Applications more than doubled from 24 in 2006 to 57 for the current cycle.
The number of students awarded the scholarship has also steadily increased in the past six years; nine students won the scholarship last year.

The key to getting students to apply is demystifying the process, said David Comp, an adviser in the College.

“A lot of students think that they have to have a 3.8 GPA, and they don’t have to. A 3.0 is going to get [the scholarship] over a 3.8 if it’s a good proposal,” Comp said.

In contrast, U of C College advisers recruit applicants to the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships based on their GPAs, as well as on recommendations elicited from faculty members and other advisers.

Advisers will continue to review the process by which the U of C recommends and prepares students, said Susan Art, dean of students in the College.