Nationally Competitive Scholarships

About

Nationally competitive scholarship programs attract thousands of applicants every year for a relatively small number of awards. Providing informed and dedicated support to applicants is the critical and fundamental goal of the National Association of Fellowships Advisors (NAFA). The thirteen essays in this volume are a direct result of the 2005 NAFA conference held in Louisville. Contributors include both scholarship advisors and representatives of the Truman and Marshall foundations as well as the former executive director of the US-UK Fulbright Commission.

These essays provide practical information ranging from helping faculty write persuasive letters of recommendation to serving international students effectively to negotiating the British and Irish high-educational systems. In addition to providing the students with useful tips, these essays also reflect on the broader impact of the application process. They address the successes of students who do not win as well as the public-service involvement of those who do as they give back to their campus, local, and global communities.

Contributors include Richard Light, Harvard; Mark Bauer, Yale; Mary Tolar, Director of Civic Engagement, Kansas State University; Mary Denyer, Assistant Head of Scholarship Administration of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission; Tara Yglesias, Deputy Secretary of the Truman Foundation; Carol Madison Graham, Executive Director of the US UK Fulbright Commission and board member of the Carnegie UK Trust; and fellowships advisors from across the country.

Author

Suzanne McCray is vice provost for enrollment and director of nationally competitive awards at the University of Arkansas. She is the editor of All In: Expanding Access through Nationally Competitive Awards; Beyond Winning: National Scholarship Competitions and the Student Experience; and Leading the Way: Student Engagement and Nationally Competitive Awards.