Nationally Competitive Scholarships
A chance to do something exceptional!
Nationally Competitive Scholarships are a prestigious, highly selective group of scholarships offered for undergraduate and graduate study, as well as research. Alma College’s Committee on Nationally Competitive Scholarships was created to identify and nurture exceptional candidates for these awards.
Our students have great success applying for these awards – we have 31 students who have won awards estimated at over $1 million. Also, 38 of our students have made it to a semi-finalist, finalist or alternate level.
Think you might be interested in applying? Here are some of the things you should be thinking about:
- Grades are very important for many scholarships.
- Pursue interesting and relevant summer opportunities and internships now — they are increasingly important for success.
- Dare to try different, exceptional, and extraordinary experiences:
- Present and/or publish research
- Study abroad in unusual places
- Begin new groups or organizations
- Work closely with a number of faculty in a number of disciplines – this will allow faculty to write effective letters of recommendation.
These types of experiences will set you apart from many other highly qualified applicants. Feel free to contact the committee members if you have questions or would like more information.
The benefits of applying
Even if you do not earn a scholarship, just applying has some great benefits:
- Applications can often be modified for other scholarships
- Clarify future goals
- Learn how to write effective personal statements
- Develop closer relationships with faculty
All of which are valuable when you are applying for graduate school, law school, medical school or a job.
