<p>Can we start a discussion about the types of students who should be applying to each? I'm trying to figure out which one better suits me. </p>
<p>The CV scholarship is more of a general scholarship for the highest achieving students, while Ingram has a focus on community service.</p>
<p>" Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholars are selected on the basis of academic achievement, intellectual promise, and leadership and contribution outside the classroom."</p>
<p>“The Ingram Scholarship Program sponsors students who demonstrate a willingness and ability to combine a successful business or professional career with a lifelong commitment to finding solutions to critical societal problems. It is distinguished by the requirement that the recipient not only volunteer for community service but also design and implement projects that address significant community needs.”</p>
<p>"Ingram Scholars are selected on the basis of commitment to community service, strength of personal character, and leadership potential. "</p>
<p>After you get the CV scholarship, you aren’t really expected to do anything (except maintain a 3.0 GPA).You can take classes (honors seminars) to earn honors points but that is not a must. You can choose to work towards collecting 15 honors points to receive an honors degree in the College of Arts and Sciences or you can choose to take regular classes and not get that distinction.</p>
<p>Ingram scholars have community service programs that they participate in.</p>
<p>According to the Ingram Scholars program website- ‘Scholars are expected to engage in their communities (Vanderbilt, Nashville, global) for approximately 20 hours per month during the academic year and in at least one of their undergraduate summers. In addition, during their senior year, Ingram Scholars serve as mentors to fellow Ingram Scholars and other students interested in service’.</p>
<p>The Ingram Scholar finalists are also invited to campus for face to face interactions before final selections. The CV Scholars and the Chancellor’s Scholars do not have to come to campus to “compete”. It is possible to be an Ingram semi finalist and to not receive any merit award after you attend the finalists weekend. After freshman first semester, the avenue to the Honors Seminars program is opened for application one time to the entire freshman class. Our son applied at that time and was accepted. He loved the seminars which are very liberal arts style discussion based approaches to problems in all subjects including math and sciences. However, all Vandy students who choose to ignore that program–the small discussion group seminar pathway…will often instead choose to get honors in their major instead. There are many other ways to earn honors on campus in your own academic path. </p>
<p>It is difficult to state “who should apply” to the merit programs. Clearly if you don’t want responsibility to the community as a whole via some program of your creation, the Ingram is not for you. Vanderbilt is intensely diverse now, so the meaning of diversity in the Chancellor’s is open to your essay topic and presentation. My recommendation is that you make the effort if you have top quarter test scores and grades in the applicant pool. If you can find the time, the effort won’t hurt you even though the odds are not in anyone’s favor anymore. The entire class is technically eligible for consideration, but only you can introduce yourself further by doing the essay. There really is no bottom quartile at Vandy anymore. Even if your test scores are a bit lower, you likely have some other successful qualities that are sought after. </p>
<p>Although you may be weary, take this round of merit essays on if you can. I can predict for you that you will be interviewing and writing applications for positions and opportunities at Vanderbilt starting year one. It is good to develop the habits that keep you under consideration and to develop interview practice. Being passed over is to be expected in this fast crowd. The key is to keep visualizing places for yourself to continue to grow on campus and in future jobs and internships during breaks. I think our son was turned down at least four times and got great opportunities on campus twice. You can’t play if you don’t put yourself in the game.</p>
<p>D lived with an Ingram Scholar her sophomore year and she was an incredible young woman, volunteering in both Nashville and Uganda during her VU career. To have a realistic shot, you need to have had some significant community service experiences in high school. D gave a young lady from her high school who was 2 years younger a personal tour of Vanderbilt when the young woman applied. She was an Ingram finalist and had nationally recognized community service. She updated her Facebook page to indicate she was headed to Vandy immediately after her Ingram visit in the spring. Unfortunately, she didn’t get the Ingram award and her plans changed. She graduated from Harvard a few years ago. In this case, it was Vanderbilt’s loss.</p>
<p>The purpose of these scholarships (IMO) is to steal kids away from HYPS. If you don’t have the kind of profile that would get admitted to HYPS, it makes it difficult to win these scholarships.</p>
<p>Is the Honors Seminars program just in the College of Arts & Sciences? My D is in Peabody and has not mentioned it.</p>
<p>Yes, Mmama, Peabody does not have the Honors Seminars for CV scholars. I don’t know about Engineering or Blair. (D is also a CV scholar in Peabody).</p>
<p>Agree with post #5. Many CV recipients turned down ivys and other top schools to attend VU. Not all but most of them have perfect GPA and/or test scores. Often they have outstanding achievement outside of school. </p>
<p>Does anyone know if the scholarship committee looks at your Vanderbilt supplement from the CommonApp? I am asking because my essay for CV will be an edited/longer version of my supplement (which was to talk about an EC). </p>
<p>Mine was very similar to my Common App essay but I was more specific about my career goals in the CV essay. The theme was the same. I guess they would look at your overall application.</p>
<p>Elizabeth: I don’t think it is posted anywhere that the essays should be unique. But in my opinion they should be fresh essays. Your common app essay, resume and letters of reference get you to the table for discussion, likely because you have been flagged by your regional reader. I don’t think anyone can tell you who is present as names for the merit scholarships get more and more narrowed down. But it is common sense to assume that they are looking at all of your application pieces to try to make those decisions. Take the time to craft unique merit essays, although there is nothing wrong with some overlap if it serves a purpose. Vanderbilt is targeted each year by over 25,000 talented student applicants and the merit scholarships are awarded to less than 1%. Our son received a Chancellor’s a few years ago. I remember well how hard it was for him to reorganize his essays. I know you guys are tired and busy as seniors but you have to cancel something and make the time. He put in a different Common App essay in some cases when he applied for merit and wanted some of his original CA essay to be considered in the merit essays. I believe you can make each Common App unique to each college which is helpful when you are tailoring an application to a college in a specific way.</p>
<p>The Ingram Scholarship Program is more than just free tuition. It is on par with Duke’s Robertson Scholarship or Notre Dame’s Hesburgh-Yusko Scholarship programs that are not just about attracting students from the Ivies, but preparing the next generation of leaders. Last year 835 students applied for Ingram and 15 were selected. At any given time, there are 50 Ingram scholars on campus. Last year about half accepted and the others ended up at schools like Stanford and Yale. Upperclassmen can also apply for spots. The students engage in weekly meetings to learn how to be better leaders. It is a close-knit group and they participate in a variety of on and off-campus activities together–including tickets to Nashville arts provided by the scholarship. Community service is paramount and students are encouraged to explore their passions and participate in new service opportunities. Most importantly, they are encouraged to reflect on service, their role in a global society and take what they’ve learned around the world. Students who are selected for Ingram most likely would also be candidates for CV. It’s the same type of individual academically but with strong leadership skills. It would be helpful for students interested in CV to check out the following links: <a href=“Fifteen students chosen as newest class of Ingram Scholars | Vanderbilt University”>Fifteen students chosen as newest class of Ingram Scholars | Vanderbilt University;
<p>and <a href=“People | Ingram Scholarship Program | Vanderbilt University”>People | Ingram Scholarship Program | Vanderbilt University; to understand what type of student the Ingram program is looking for in their 2019 scholars.</p>
<p>And as far as essays are concerned, make every essay unique. I would not merely extend your common app essay. That doesn’t show a lot of ingenuity or commitment. I totally agree with Faline that they should be fresh and show another dimension of who you are and why you would contribute to a vibrant Vanderbilt community.</p>
<p>@go2mom: I have only done community service internationally. I feel like, looking at those links, they want people who do local service. How can I present myself well? </p>
<p>sirswish7 - Is the international community service you do executed on a weekly basis? Is it something where you regularly make a difference? Can you demonstrate that your consistently work toward changing someone’s life for the better? To be a successful Ingram candidate, you should be able to demonstrate that service is part of who you are; not something you are doing to get a scholarship. Perhaps this is why you see so many students performing local community service. It’s a lot easier to accomplish something close to home. Perhaps more importantly, you should ask yourself, what you would contribute to the Vanderbilt community and most immediately, to the Nashville community. How does that correlate with the service work you have done in the past? It may be that this is or isn’t the right scholarship for you. For example, a gold medal-caliber philanthropist might not be a gold medal athlete on the field and vice versa. It’s really important to find the best fit. If you have a compelling story to tell, that is exactly how you can present yourself well. If you’re trying to shape your story to “fit,” they will be able to see through it. Does that make sense?</p>
<p>Can you apply to both or do you have to chose one? </p>
<p>@Kelowna: You have to choose one. </p>
<p>@Kelowna @sirswish7 No you can apply for both. I asked that same question to an ad com and she said you could apply for all their scholarships if you qualified. </p>
<p>@musicgeek97 is right. You can apply for all. I chose all on the Common App, but ultimately just applied for one.</p>