Newswise — Many colleges give scholarships to students with stratospheric SAT scores or straight-A grades. 170-year-old Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont, is taking a different route.
Green Mountain will award up to 10 full four-year scholarships each year covering tuition, room and board to first-year students "who have made a significant positive difference in their communities and/or in the lives of others." The program starts with freshmen who will enter in the fall of 2005.
"We want to recognize the exceptional works of high school students across the country who are making the world a better place," says John F. Brennan, president of the four-year-liberal arts college. "Green Mountain will reward them for their contributions and foster their commitment to making a difference. These kids truly will be the leaders of tomorrow. We think they will flourish in a setting such as ours that values and promotes service to others."
The "Make A Difference" scholarships are expected to be worth around $120,000 each.
"It's a very significant financial commitment on our part," says Joel Wincowski, dean of enrollment management. "It shows how serious we are about our mission."
Green Mountain College is mailing more than 30,000 brochures announcing the scholarship to high school guidance counselors, churches, boys and girls clubs, YMCAs, state governors' offices and service organizations all over the United States.
Founded in 1834, Green Mountain has built its reputation as an environmental liberal arts college that emphasizes service learning, volunteerism and environmental education. The "Make a Difference" scholarships are designed to attract students who will thrive at a college that emphasizes service.
While Green Mountain takes the environment as the unifying theme of its experience, Wincowski says that the winners of the "Make a Difference" scholarships are expected to come from a variety of backgrounds.
"It's reasonable to assume that a high school student who has done something extraordinary to improve the environment would be a candidate for an award," he says, "but we certainly are looking beyond that. We want a range of experiences represented by our scholarship winners."
"We really don't know what our first group of `Make A Difference' scholars will look like," says Wincowski. "Maybe there will be someone who saved a family from a fire or who successfully lobbied the city council for a worthwhile cause. It will be exciting to find out."
While grades are not part of the scholarship criteria, the winners must be judged eligible for admission and able to handle college academics.
Green Mountain seeks nominations from students, guidance counselors, community members and parents. Applicants must present a portfolio or other evidence illustrating how they have made an exceptional difference in their communities. They also must submit three letters of recommendation, including one from a teacher, principal or guidance counselor and one from a community official.
More information about the "Make a Difference" scholarships as well as a nomination form and application materials are all available on-line at http://www.greenmtn.edu/makeadifference/index.asp. You can also see a video about the scholarship by accessing that site.
"We anticipate a strong response," says Wincowski. "Ideals of service and giving back are extremely important to this generation of students. More than 70 percent of our student body was involved with some kind of service learning in high school and they are eager to continue that when they get here."
"I have really come to value this generation called The Millennials," agrees President Brennan. "Honesty and integrity are the attributes they most admire. And surveys have shown that these people born in the mid-1980s say that their top requirement of work is to have idealistic and dedicated co-workers and to do work that helps others. That's why I think we'll have plenty of applicants for the `Make a Difference' scholarships."
Located between the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks, Green Mountain College offers 25 majors in the traditional liberal arts and pre-professional programs such as business and education, as well as specialized majors including resort management, adventure recreation, and environmental management. The college is a founding member of the Eco League consortium of environmental liberal arts colleges.
Please let me know if there is anything further that we can provide. We help GMC with its public affairs work.
RSS