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Medallion Scholarship competition attracts top studentsJan. 25, 2007 KALAMAZOO--Nearly 600 of the brightest high school seniors in Michigan and nine other states will gather at Western Michigan University from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, for the 23rd annual Medallion Scholarship Competition. The competition is one of the biggest events of its kind in Michigan. Since it began in 1984, about $86 million in four-year scholarships has been offered to more than 14,000 students. This year, each competitor will receive a one-time Dean's Scholarship worth $3,000 and be able to compete for Medallion Scholarships worth $40,000 over four years. The awards will be offered by Feb. 28 and are for students planning to attend WMU this coming fall. WMU's prestigious Medallion Scholarships are among the largest merit awards in American public higher education. To date, these top awards have amounted to nearly $8 million and have been given to 371 students, including 16 students in 2006. Only the cream of the crop of each year's high school graduating classes is invited to attend the Medallion Scholarship Competition. To be invited, students had to apply to WMU by Dec. 1 and be among the top applicants to WMU when grade point average and ACT scores are considered. A committee selects the recipients based on the students' performance in the competition events, which include essay writing and a group problem-solving activity. Event registration for the students and the parents accompanying them will take place from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. in the first floor lobby of the Bernhard Center. At 9:15 a.m., the Medallion competitors' parents will gather in the center's East Ballroom for welcoming remarks by Dr. Janet Pisaneschi, WMU provost, and Dr. Keith Hearit, interim dean of WMU's Lee Honors College. Simultaneously in the center's West Suites, Jodi Ward, assistant director of admissions and competition coordinator, will welcome the Medallion competitors.In addition to the essay writing and group problem solving activities, students participating in the competition will attend an Academic Showcase featuring faculty members from more than 30 University departments. They also will attend a panel discussion composed of current Medallion Scholarship recipients and representatives of the Lee Honors College. The parent agenda will include sessions on the Lee Honors College, financial aid, housing and dining services, as well as panel discussion with current scholarship recipients. Much of the Medallion Scholarship Competition will take place in the Bernhard Center, but various activities also will be held in Wood Hall, the Fetzer Center and Schneider Hall. For more information about the competition, contact Jodi Ward at jodi.ward@wmich.edu. Media contact: Jeanne Baron, (269) 387-8400, jeanne.baron@wmich.edu WMU News |
