<p>Does anyone know anything about Park Scholars and the criteria for receiving an award?</p>
<p>I'm going to be an Ithaca freshman and Park Scholar in the fall, so I know a bit about this question! :)</p>
<p>You probably know that the Park Scholarship is a full ride (tuition, room, board, laptop, and stipend) scholarship to Ithaca College. Up to twenty scholarships are offered to freshman cinema and photography, television-radio, journalism, integrated marketing communications, and communication management and design majors each year. </p>
<p>From what I have experienced, I can say that Park Scholars are selected not only for academic excellence, but also for their dedication to a particular field of communications. Basically, having high SAT scores, GPA, and class rank MIGHT get you through to the finalist round, but you're competing against students with the same numbers. What becomes more important to the selection committee is your "drive" and demonstrated interest in the field. There are so many applicants for these scholarships that you really have to stand out in your extracurricular activities and awards. Also, community service is a big part of a Park Scholar's life -- it's one of the requirements for maintaining the scholarship -- so make sure to mention that in your application. </p>
<p>If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask! :)</p>
<p>Thanks for all the info. I'm actually here asking questions on behalf of my D. She is interested in both journalism and photography. </p>
<p>What other schools did you apply to/get into/get generous offers from?</p>
<p>Ithaca has wonderful programs in both journalism and photography! </p>
<p>The other colleges/universities that I applied to included:</p>
<p>Penn State
University of Pittsburgh
Ursinus College
Hampshire College
Smith College
Vassar College
Emerson College</p>
<p>I did have a good deal of demonstrated financial need, but next to Ithaca, Smith College and Hampshire College gave me the most in scholarship and grant money. However, I did receive some sort of scholarship (ranging from 1,000 to 35,000) at every institution except the University of Pittsburgh. Even before receiving the Park Scholarship, Ithaca had already given me an ALANA scholarship, a Rod Serling scholarship for film, a Leadership Scholarship, and named me as a semi-finalist for the MLK scholarship.</p>
<p>Since money was such an important issue when I was applying to college, I had to narrow down my choices by price before sending in any applications. Basically, if it didn't seem like I would stand out enough to be offered enough money to make it affordable, I didn't apply. The best thing is to do your research on CC and in college guide books -- they tend to give you a good idea of the financial generosity of each institution.</p>
<p>Hamtaro Fan,</p>
<p>I'm a parent and my soon to be junior daughter will be looking at/visiting Ithaca and Pitt most likely this fall, as we begin college visits. She has a strong interest in photography, although I'm not sure what she would want to major in at this point.</p>
<p>The reason I am writing is that I looked at your stats from another post and am shocked that you received no merit money from Pitt with your SAT scores and GPA. It seems like you should have received something. Did you get any explanation from them??</p>
<p>I was also a little taken aback when I received the offer from them. Reflecting on it, I kind of felt that it had to do with the quality of my application, rather than the quality of my record. Pitt was the first school I applied to and admittedly a rushed job. By the time I was sending out my final applications to the other schools in January and most definitely by the Park Scholar due date, my essays and personal statements were immeasurably stronger in style and content. I definitely think that admissions committee take effort into serious consideration -- at one draft, my Pitt essay wasn't my best, whereas I did seven drafts of a single Park Scholar essay before sending it.</p>
<p>You have a good point there. I'll make sure to pass that info on to my daughter! Congratulations on getting such an amazing scholarship to a great program though. It really did work out well for you. Best of luck at Ithaca!</p>
<p>Thank you! :)</p>