<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I am a former Alumni Scholar (truly a life-changing program for me), and currently review applications and interview candidates for the scholarship. </p>
<p>The office of admissions will refer promising candidates to us and we in-turn send invitations to those students in the hopes that they will apply. This is NOT a guarantee of admission, and in past years we have had some candidates that we would really love to put on this scholarship not be admitted to the university. However, most students are referred to us because, by virtue of an initial round of application review, an admissions representative has found that candidate worthy of consideration for a highly prestigious merit scholarship (others on occasion find them less so, which is why not everyone who is invited will be admitted). To put it this way (parents love numbers, I’m told):</p>
<p>~70,000+ freshman applicants to UCLA
~4,000 invited to apply for scholarship (notably, however, students can also apply without being invited)
~1,500-2,500 complete scholarship application (frankly, you’d be stupid not to, but that’s my $.02)
~100-120 offered a scholarship after application review and up to three rounds of panel interviews. Scholarship amounts have in past years ranged from $4,000-$20,000 and are based solely on merit (though students can apply for additional need-based grants through the program once they’ve enrolled). All incoming Alumni Scholars are also offered honors college advising, alumni and peer mentors, and access to a variety of Alumni Association activities, dinners, service events, etc. It’s a great family. </p>
<p>I was told by a reputable source a few years ago that ~70-80% of those invited to apply are admitted to UCLA, but because the scholarship review process runs parallel to, and does not intersect with, the admissions process (except when students are initially referred), I’m not certain how accurate this is (though I’d imagine at the very least the odds are >50%)</p>
<p>This scholarship is exceptionally competitive, and typically many of those awarded it are on par with top admits to Ivy League institutions. The program has produced a majority of the university’s Rhodes, Marshall and Gates winners in recent years, and a somewhat absurd amount have gone onto top-10 graduate/medical/law schools. In short, the program churns out leaders of character and high intelligence like a well-oiled machine.</p>
<p>So there’s my input (and elevator pitch!). Good luck to you and yours; I look forward to reading the applications.</p>