Presidential Scholars
Award Description
The Presidential Scholarship is a merit-based, highly competitive award. Middler-year students with a minimum 3.800 QPA, and who have demonstrated excellence in their major, in arts and sciences courses outside the major, and in their experiential education, are eligible to apply for this prestigious award. Applicants are required to write an essay that demonstrates an understanding of, and appreciation for, the synergistic connections between these three components of their education, and to provide three letters of reference, as outlined below.
Application Criteria
- Minimum 3.800 QPA at the time of application (minimum 3.5 QPA must be maintained to retain the scholarship).
- Enrolled as a middler-year student in fall semester 2008 and have had previous full-time enrollment at Northeastern University for a minimum of four semesters including academic and co-op terms.
- Completed at least one co-op placement at the time of application, or enrolled in a co-op placement during fall semester 2008. The co-op requirement may be substituted by a significant independent research or creative project that included at least 8 semester hours of credit for research or directed study. The significance of the project must be demonstrated by the student description and by the faculty research supervisor's letter of support.
Frequently Asked Questions [PDF]
Application Process
Completed online application must include:
- Completed Personal Information
- Personal Essay (pasted into the online form text field) should clearly demonstrate an understanding of, and appreciation for, the connection between the three components of your educational experience at Northeastern University. e.g. how your major, liberal studies and experiential education come together. The personal essay must be no longer than 800 words. A word count has been provided in the online form for your convenience.
- An evaluation from a professor, adjunct faculty, or graduate teaching assistant in your major (requested automatically via email at form submission)
- An evaluation from a professor, adjunct faculty, or graduate teaching assistant in the College of Arts and Sciences (not in your major) (requested automatically via email at form submission)
- An evaluation from your co-op employer or research supervisor (requested automatically via email at form submission)
- Please note that evaluations must be completed by the respective evaluators by December 1, 2008. No more than 3 evaluations may be submitted.
- Resume (uploaded as PDF from a file on your desktop computer)
- Unofficial university transcript from Northeastern and any college or university where you were previously enrolled (Instructions on saving your transcript to PDF from myNEU).
Note: Please do not fax or submit any hard copies of the application.
Deadlines
A completed application should be received by The
Presidential Scholarship Selection Committee through the online submission form, at or before midnight on December 1, 2008.
Questions may be directed to Pat Neblett at p.neblett@neu.edu or by calling (617-373-2842).
Notification of Awards
Awards will be announced in January 2009.
Recipients for 2008-09
Laura Ann Boston, Reading, MA, English
Jordan Elliott Clark, Boston, MA, African-American Studies
and Political Science
Danielle Dobson, Danville, CA, International
Affairs/Economics
Daniel Lindquist, Chelmsford, MA, Business Administration
Kenneth McGrady, East Longmeadow, MA, Computer Science and Mathematics
Shaelyn A. McNally, Lincoln, RI, Physical Therapy
Casey L. O'Neill, Merrimack, NH, Biology
Rhiannon Thomas, Westford, MA, Chemistry