Prestigious fellowship questers receive their road maps

From left, David Roberts and Daun DeFrance, Cornell Marshall Scholars for 1999, and English Professor Reeve Parker, a former Rhodes Scholar, listen to President Rawlings address potential applicants at a fellowships information session in Kaufmann Auditorium Feb. 25. Robert Barker/University Photography

By Deborah Schoeneman '99

In his opening remarks at the Feb. 25 meeting for potential Rhodes and Marshall scholarship applicants, President Hunter Rawlings told the student audience, "The sooner you can begin learning about these opportunities, the better."

In its effort to accommodate students with a desire to begin gathering information, the president's office invited 500 qualified students to the annual informational meeting about the application process for the prestigious fellowships in Kaufmann Auditorium of Goldwin Smith Hall. This year, sophomores with a minimum grade point average of 3.85 were added to an invitation list that, in the past, had included only qualified juniors.

"Cornell students have been doing quite well. They have every chance of success," Rawlings assured potential applicants. In 1996, two Cornellians won both Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships; in 1997, three Cornellians won Marshalls, and in 1998, two Cornellians won Marshalls.

Most students who apply for either the Rhodes or the Marshall scholarship apply for both because they share a similar application process. The Rhodes Scholarship funds two years of graduate or undergraduate study at Oxford University for 32 U.S. students a year, and the Marshall Scholarship funds two years of graduate or undergraduate study at any university in the United Kingdom for up to 42 U.S. students.

In early September, applicants at Cornell submit their materials -- a personal statement outlining their future plan of study, letters of recommendation and their academic record -- for review by an endorsement selection committee composed of 20 or more Cornell professors from a wide range of disciplines. Nominees then revise their materials for final submission in October. In November, students attend interview preparation workshops and individual practice sessions. And finalists are selected for interviews with the fellowship organization committees in November and December.

During last week's meeting, English Professor Reeve Parker discussed what makes a successful scholarship candidate and described his experience as a Rhodes Scholar.

Daun DeFrance, a graduate student in structural engineering who will pursue another bachelor's degree at Oxford University this fall as a Marshall Scholar, extolled her experiences with supportive faculty advisers along the way.

And Arts and Sciences senior Daniel Gingerich, a Marshall applicant and a Rhodes finalist, urged the students, many of whom are eligible for other prestigious fellowships, to carefully choose the one that most suits their interests. He also advised potential applicants to use their summer vacations and extracurricular opportunities wisely, saying his summer research at Yale University and his work on a novel were important additions to his application.

"They want to see you get bloody. It's worth digging in your heels," Gingerich said about the scholarship committees.

Senior Kate Carlson, human ecology, said she never received an invitation to apply for a Rhodes or Marshall but after applying was selected as a Marshall semifinalist and a Rhodes finalist.

As a nutrition major, she developed a passion for economics and plans to pursue a second bachelor's degree in the subject. She first believed that successful applicants were leagues above her, but, she said, Professor Parker gave her the best piece of advice when he told her, "Create a dream for yourself and will yourself into living it."

Rhodes and Marshall applicants share a common trait, she said: "They take an honor and make it into an opportunity."

For more information about the fellowships or the application process, contact Beth Fiori, fellowship coordinator, at the University Career Center, 103 Barnes Hall; phone: 255-6931; or visit the office's web site at http://www.career.cornell.edu/ccs/Graduate_School/Fellowships/rhodes.app.html.