Any Rhodes or Marshall applicants out there?

Parents Forum
1

<p>I just want to wish them best of luck. It is a tough process, as they're seeing, and will see even more when they get back to campus and have campus interviews.</p>

<p>But it can be an exciting one:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>just being endorsed by one's college is a validation of credentials and a lot of hard work. And it is a signal that great grad school and professional school options are around the corner.</p></li>
<li><p>getting an invite to interview (being selected as a finalist) is a real thrill, of course, and something that can go on one's resume, at least for a few years.</p></li>
<li><p>winning is.....But the truth is that above all, the faculty connections one makes during the process will be invaluable during senior year and beyond, whether or not one wins. </p></li>
</ul>

<p>So please encourage them. After all, some do win, even though the odds are long. But please don't be like parents behind us in the line to get into my D's graduation last June. They told us (1) their daughter was a finalist for the Rhodes (2) she should have won, but did not because the process is all political. How sad to have a daughter recognized to be one of the top students nationally yet viewed as a loser by her own parents!</p>

<p>good luck to any and all!</p>

2

<p>One of the things that the Republicans in 1992, ,commented on Bill Clinton's Rhodes Scholarship was that he treated the scholarship as a way to travel Europe rather than study.</p>

<p>That one comment started the long road to my disillusion and disallusion for this political party and their education concepts. </p>

<p>Good luck. Make us proud.</p>

3

<p>
[quote]
One of the things that the Republicans in 1992, ,commented on Bill Clinton's Rhodes Scholarship was that he treated the scholarship as a way to travel Europe rather than study.</p>

<p>That one comment started the long road to my disillusion and disallusion for this political party and their education concepts.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Inasmuch I do not understand the relevance of a political comment in the context of this thread, you might consider the role played by Bill Clinton when it comes to education during his presidency, starting by paying close attention to the budget of the Education Department during his 8 years. </p>

<p>As far as "party" impact, I'll take a jocular comment about Clinton's vacations at Oxford over the Party of Democrats' support of organizations such as the NEA or AFT, which have contributed massively to the rotten state of our education and its decline in the past 50 years. </p>

<p>To each his own!</p>

4

<p>Unfortunately education is a political issue. I am only marginally aware of Clinton's education policy; He started the concept of NCLB, on the advice of many people, including someone who I had dated in HS. Didn't she her on our fortieth HS reunion. </p>

<p>In this same HS, a close friend of mine, classmate, and brother-in-law (brother sister's husband) was a Rhodes Scholar. Smart guy. Unfortunately he was one of th 4% in our class who is deceased. </p>

<p>Good Luck to the all applicants.</p>

5

<p>Overseas study: I really don't think a person really studies whatever in a foreign country. A person gets to understand the people and cultures better. For my own S he finished a technical internship, I don't think he really "learned" or made a great contribution in the small projects he did. However, he did meet many other interns from all over the world. The immediate benefit was that he was able to stay visit Europe with people he met in India, and another couple interns and permanent employees who visited him in Seattle. The longterm benefit is the Networking and Access.... the true benefit for these Fellowships.</p>

6

<p>I had a Wilson Fellowship to Oxford. The benefits of travel were (and remain) far greater than anything I ever got out of my studies there, or before, or since. (And I used the opportunity to travel overland to Iran, and worked there.)</p>

7

<p>Anything I know about these scholarships I learned here. Does your school have to nominate you for these scholarships? </p>

<p>Last spring my S attended an info session and came away feeling he did not want to study abroad and that the process was too overwhelming given his athletic commitments and plans to apply to graduate programs in the US. </p>

<p>Over the summer he's become interested in a program at Cambridge, and he's been encouraged to consider opportunities at Oxford. He's been meeting with the fellowship coordinator at school and been persuaded to, "go through the Rhodes procedure." He sees it as good preparation for completing graduate school applications and it is helping him to think more deeply about his career aspirations.</p>

<p>So I sent his sports jacket to the cleaners. Anything else I should know?</p>

8

<p>Xig;
My comment about the Republican Party attitude towards BC and Rhodes, may have discouraged many qualified candidates from applying and made many Scholarship winners feel like sh**. Exactly the point that Newmassdad wants us to be aware. </p>

<p>Our education systems is what it is. Everyone has an opinion on how to improve the system. Does anybody think that the educational system will be better if (insert name) becomes President? </p>

<p>BC did pretty well in a next-to-last, state system. Improved the AR schools only marginally (at least kept AR ranking) while he was governor. GWB also did well in the system, allowed to be home schooled, had the money to buy into private schools, where he would floundered in Texas public system. In the last 16 years, which according to a CC thread, Dallas public system isn't and hasn't been doing so hot even with multitude "improvements" and "change". More change is must therefore be inorder?</p>

<p>In the meantime, Good Luck to all applicants to Marshall, Rhodes, Fullbrights, Carnegie Endowment, and Wilson.</p>

9

<p>I'm with Xiggi on his general diagnosis of what ails our education system - the teachers union and the NEA. </p>

<p>FWIW, my rising college freshman is turned off by the overseas study mania. Every school we visited seemed to devote a huge amount of time trying to convince us that our kid could see the world, visit exotic locales - it began to feel like the travel channel. She may be a bit cynical but she's seen quite a few kids in her hs jetting off to China and the Middle East and South America and the South Pole on very expensive "education" travel paid for by mom and dad. There's a certain sense that this makes the student "interesting" and "educated". I'm sure there's a measure of truth in this but there's also a lot of hype, as well.</p>

<p>But as for the Rhodes and Marshall - heck, who on earth wouldn't give their right arm for an opportunity like that???</p>

10

<p>Cookiemom,</p>

<p>It is too bad that posters like <strong>Longprime</strong> find it necessary to politicize discussions such as this. I thought that was the purpose of the Cafe, which I avoid like the plague. Where are the mods when we need them? So Longprime, if you want to have political rants about education, why not start your own thread? Why hijack this one? </p>

<p>That said, there is little we parents should "know" because there is little we can do regarding the process. You might ask your kid if he'd like you to proof his essays, since they count for a lot, and stupid things can hurt.</p>

<p>For these scholarships, the college endorses the applicant. (indeed, for some, they even rank the students) The applicant him/herself is responsible for submitting the application (which offers plenty of opportunity for an applicant to mess up and take him/herself out of the running...)</p>

<p>You might also gently guide your kid to pay close attention to the rules and such. For example, I know of one applicant for the Marshall last year, a finalist, who listed as his first program choice a program that was not eligible for funding under the Marshall rules. Guess what the first question was that he was asked during the interview? Oops. </p>

<p>Your son should also consider the impact on his career of being a finalist (or even better, a winner) of any of the "British Scholarships", i.e. Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell and even Gates Cambridge (technically not part of the "british" but close enough). Folks in the know - grad and professional school admissions folks and top level employers know the significance of being a finalist or winner of any of these.</p>

<p>Keep in mind too, that some winners are known to use the scholarships as an academic opportunity and actually learn. Some of them even allow a third year of funding to finish a PhD (yes, brit PhDs can often be done in three years), so winning one can jump-start an academic career.</p>

<p>I wish him good luck.</p>

11

<p>Cookie,
What a huge honor to be encouraged to apply, esp. from the many fine candidates from S's school! A friend of mine applied for a Rhodes from the same school in the early 1980s, and while he didn't get it (he was a finalist), it is one of those things you keep on your CV and schools, employers, etc. DO notice. </p>

<p>You are right that it will help him focus on his long-term goals, too -- S found this in submitting to the research competitions. It came up in essays and in interviews.</p>

12

<p>@cookiemom: The Rhodes Scholarship application process has nothing in common with applying to graduate school in mathematics (which is what I think you're son was doing.) It would be a good idea if he thinks there is a significant chance he won't end up in a highly technical field after graduation, but otherwise it's not too useful. It'll help you get in the door at a pristigious consulting position like at McKinsey, for example.</p>

13

<p>As a fellowship advisor, I'd say the best thing parents can do is be supportive and encouraging. Applying for these fellowships (and a host of others that have not been mentioned here) is very time-consuming and emotionally trying for the students. They have to dig deep when writing their personal statements and in crafting their proposed course of study in the UK. Most of my students go through 10-15 drafts and the final product often bears no resemblance to what they started with. And because these students have always been very high achievers, their egos can be bruised in the process. (That's not the intent, but it happens.)</p>

<p>Students do need to be nominated/endorsed by their university for the Rhodes and Marshall so the internal nominating process can be challenging as well - especially the interview where students are often challenged to think on their feet in a way that is different than what they have experienced before.</p>

<p>So your student may need some pep-talks along the way. Yes it's hard but it is worth it. Not only if you win (which is great but the odds are not in any student's favor. For example about 1000 students will be nominated for the Rhodes. They are all outstanding students. Only 32 will be chosen!) but just going through the process is valuable. It will make your student think about him or herself and about his or her future goals in a way far different than ever before. And on a practical level, it will make grad school applications far easier to complete. </p>

<p>Every student I have ever worked with on any of these scholarships has told me when all is said and done, even if they didn't win or even make finalist status, that they were glad they did it; that it was a valuable experience.</p>

<p>Good luck to all the students who will be applying this fall!</p>

14

<p>Thanks for all of the constructive feedback and tips. He is finding the process helpful and he's thinking about his career goals in a new and exciting way. He will probably show me his essays, but I don't want to see the application because I know it will make me feel anxious. He seems to be getting a lot of guidance and support from faculty, so I just need to worry about him having the proper attire for interviews. :)</p>

15

<p>As I said in another thread, one of the great regrets in my life is that I chose not to go through the Rhodes process despite the backing of multiple college professors. Best of luck to your son - I'll be rooting for him!!!</p>

<p>P.S. I'd double check the attire - if I were guessing a regular suit and tie would be my first choice rather than a sport coat and slacks.</p>

16

<p>Congratulations to you, coookiemom, for raising an outstanding kid.</p>

17

<p>scualum, cookiemom,</p>

<p>don't sweat the attire too much, depending on the circumstances and the U.</p>

<p>I know of one kid who interviewed on campus the day after flying back from a summer overseas, where most of her clothing had not made it back to campus. Informal was the word. Despite this, the kid must have wowed the faculty because the kid moved nicely ahead and was a finalist for both a Marshall and a Rhodes. </p>

<p>A good fellowship advisor will coach the kids on all sorts of subtleties, including appropriate clothing, interview behavior, cocktail party chatter (part of the Rhodes finalist process) and so forth. Of course, the kids need to seek out advice too, and that in itself is part of the winnowing process - the ones that are too self confident, to the degree that they don't want or don't listen to advice, are likely to get a lukewarm campus endorsement at best.</p>

<p>Regarding clothing, I think guys have it easier than women. At one Rhodes finalist cocktail party last fall, I was amazed at the style of dress some wore. One woman, of apparent Indian decent, wore a dress with definite traditional Indian overtones. Some wore true formal cocktail party fashion. Some were much more subdued. But the guys all had either sport coats or suits.</p>

<p>FWIW, I have no idea what works, what does not. I just observed.</p>

18

<p>Applications materials for the Rhodes and Marchall are due into the school next week. The school will then conduct interviews and decide on endorsed candidates. S is complaining that he's had to miss a lot of parties this week to work on his applications. I told him that if he got to the finalist stage he's get to go to some nice cocktail parties.</p>

19

<p>cookiemom,</p>

<p>I've got to think that a Rhodes finalist cocktail party must be one of the strangest things on earth. Just think about having 12 to 14 (yes, at least one district last fall couldn't limit the pool to twelve!) bright, accomplished young adults all competing for the attention of the selectors (or whatever you call them), because they are indeed competing, while doing their best to not appear overly competitive and such. </p>

<p>Best of luck to your son.</p>

20

<p>Does anyone know if there are limits on the number of students a school can endorse for the Rhodes and Marshall?</p>