<p>So I have heard of Presidential Scholars, National Merit Finalist and like AP Scholars, anything else that is common that I just happen to be missing? </p>
<p>What about like Davidson Fellowship? Rhodes Scholar? Gates Scholars? How much do they really help?</p>
<p>Has anyone won them, if so can you describe it a bit, esp. for the Davidson Fellowship.</p>
<p>Thanks :D.</p>
<p>Rhodes Scholar? Are you on crack? Do you even understand the nature of these awards? Do some research before you start listing awards high schoolers aren’t even eligible for. </p>
<p>Davidson Fellowship… </p>
<p>[Davidson</a> Gifted ~ Davidson Fellows - 2008](<a href=“http://www.davidsongifted.org/fellows/Article/Davidson_Fellows___2008_405.aspx]Davidson”>http://www.davidsongifted.org/fellows/Article/Davidson_Fellows___2008_405.aspx)</p>
<p>Awards like this, chances are that you aren’t special enough to get one.</p>
<p>The Rhodes Scholarship is for college students. Lol.</p>
<p>Thanks for the warm welcome Gryffon5147!</p>
<p>Jerk. I just happen to here those names being tossed around on this forum/school and I decided to ask.</p>
<p>You’re quite welcome.</p>
<p>Anyone else want to expand on this?</p>
<p>How do you win the presidential Scholarship?</p>
<p>fiker94:</p>
<p>Here’s what I do know about the US Dept. of Ed. Pres. Scholars Program.</p>
<p>1) Initial invitations to apply are based on students’ SAT or ACT scores from a single testing; no super-scoring. The applications are by invitation only and are extended to the highest 3,000 scoring students out of the approx. 2.8 million students who take either the SAT or ACT. This number includes some students who are eligible to apply under the fine arts designation. I don’t know how the fine arts portion works; my daughter was contacted b/c of her SAT scores.</p>
<p>2) Applications are mailed out at the end of Jan. and must be completed and returned by approx. Feb. 25 (I don’t know if it varies or not–that was this year’s deadline). The applications are somewhat lengthy, although much of the info. has already been organized during the college app. process. They ask for basic info. like address, SSN, HS, etc. Students must list activities and work experience, special talents, community activities, jobs held, and then write several essays. The essays include: candidate’s self-assessment–four essays with specific prompts; name the teacher or instructor who has influenced you most significantly…explain the reason for your selection; candidate essay–attach a photograph of something that or someone who has great significance to you. Explain the significance. There is also a form to be filled out by the guidance dept., a teacher or someone from the school admin.</p>
<p>3) Applicants are notified as to whether or not they are chosen as a semi-finalist at the beginning of April. My daughter received her notice on April 11 (she was fortunate enough to be in the pool of approx. 550 students who are semifinalists). At this stage, the semi-finalists are asked to submit a photo of themselves, yearbook bio and an optional mini essay which are needed for the yearbook they publish with the winners’ info. So, semi-finalists who are not winners still send these things in “just in case” so the US Dept. of Ed. can meet its publishing deadlines.</p>
<p>4) From the pool of semifinalists, I believe they choose 141 “winners”–I’m not 100% positive that it’s 141, but think so…</p>
<p>5) There is no money given to any of these students at any point in the competition. Winners do receive a medal. The winners and the teachers they choose as the most influential are invited to Wash. DC for a few days (around June 20-24) to participate in various “festivities”. This is an expense-paid trip.</p>
<p>Here’s a link [Presidential</a> Scholars Program: Eligibility](<a href=“http://www.ed.gov/programs/psp/eligibility.html]Presidential”>Eligibility | U.S. Department of Education). Connected to this webpage, there are links to many more details about the program. </p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Thanks :D</p>
<p>You guys are too kind. lol</p>
<p>hjnmom:</p>
<p>My D is also a semi-finalist. Congrats to all for getting this far! Here’s my question: are you sure that the teacher’s trip is ALSO expense-paid? I don’t find anything on the ed.gov website that says that it is.</p>
<p>Semifinalist Parents - Can you advise what the deadline is for submitting supplemental materials (photo, bio, etc.)? S’s name is on the list but we haven’t received the mailing. Guess he’ll be calling on Monday!</p>
<p>EngProfMom:</p>
<p>After digging through all the printed pages of my daughter’s app. and looking for info. online, I cannot find anything that says the teacher’s trip is paid. Under the teacher portion of the app. it says, “(Note: Should you become a Presidential Scholar, the teacher you name will be invited to Washington, D.C., and honored for his or her accomplishments…)” Nothing one way or the other about expenses.</p>
<p>On the back page of the “fact sheet” there is a paragraph about the Scholars having an expense-paid trip; however, the next paragraph, which mentions the teacher, does NOT say anything about expenses one way or another.</p>
<p>So, no, I am not sure about that one…Sorry. :(</p>
<p>HopesForTheBest:</p>
<p>The deadline for submitting photo, bio. and optional mini-essay was April 24, 2009. I don’t know if you contact them and tell them you never received anything in the mail, but your S’s name is listed online, if they may be willing to grant an extension. If they do grant an extension, be sure you submit things in proper format. It’s simple, but they have some word limits, formatting and labeling requirements. After submitting the email with the attachments, we did receive a confirmation email in return.</p>
<p>Congrats to both you.</p>
<p>Just a word of advice to you, flickr - while these awards are great and a true testament to a student’s ability, they by no means guarantee admission to any of these top-tier universities. One of my friends was a Presidential Scholar Semifinalist, with a 36 ACT, and ranked number 3 in our class, and drum major in band, but was still rejected from Berkeley and Harvard (she got into Cornell though). A friend from last year was a Presidential Scholar (Finalist, I think), 2400 SAT, and ranked number 9 in his graduating class and got deferred from Stanford SCEA and then rejected upon regular decisions time. </p>
<p>Bottom line - these awards (at least Presidential Scholar, I don’t know about Davidson) are not a guarantee to get into HYPSM, etc.</p>