Want to be a Fulbright Scholar?

The University of Washington has so many scholarship offices that it can be difficult for students to figure out which one would serve their needs best. The Undergraduate Scholarship Office is one of these organizations and, though it does assist undergraduate students, it has a more specific function.“We exist . . . to help facilitate national application scholarships,” said Mona Pitre-Collins the director of this office. “We help students understand the process.”These scholarships include the Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright and the Cambridge Gates, all highly competitive national scholarships. Pitre-Collins points out the your GPA is the gatekeeper for these awards, so keep it high. You need a 3.6 to 3.7 if you want to be able to compete though the application might only require a 3.5.“You have to have a plan of action,” Pitre-Collins stressed. If you want to apply for any of these scholarships you need to start working towards them immediately. Do your research and tailor your activities towards the application; many require specific things that can take years to achieve.“Coming in and making an application is the nomination in many cases,” said Pitre-Collins. Students can’t wait around for others to put them up for the honor, they must be pro-active.Most of these scholarship applications are due in the fall, info sessions happen in the spring and you need to start thinking about next year now.