After sending in their applications early this week, several Penn students have begun the waiting game to see if they will win one of the prestigious Marshall or Rhodes scholarships.
This year, students have sent in 35 applications for the Marshall and 39 for the Rhodes. The total of 74 applications is the most Penn has ever sent.
"With this number of Penn students wanting to get involved, win or lose, this year has been our greatest success," Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Director Art Casciato said.
One reason for the creation of CURF in 1999 was to encourage undergraduates to apply for fellowships. Each year, 40 students nationally are selected for the Marshall and 32 are selected for the Rhodes.
Casciato said that application numbers are up from last year's totals of 29 and 27 applications, respectively.
"I had a really good experience, and CURF was very supportive," said College senior Leslie Schwab, who applied for both scholarships. "I would definitely recommend it."
In addition, each year since CURF's inception, Penn students have won at least one of these prestigious scholarships, Research Coordinator Cheryl Shipman said.
For the first time, Penn will be hosting the regional Rhodes final interviews for the Delaware and Pennsylvania region.
President Amy Gutmann will chair the Rhodes selection committee and will also be reading applications when they come in, Casciato said.
"We're very grateful for [President] Gutmann, and it really shows how much she supports CURF and our students," Casciato said.
Winners of the Marshall Scholarship receive two years of study at any institution in Great Britain, while Rhodes winners get one, two or three years of study at Oxford University with tuition, fees and a subsidized living allowance.
Students will hear whether or not they advance to the next round of finalist interviews in early November.
"By December, we look forward to seeing our students on the front page," Shipman said.
Casciato believes that just applying for these fellowships is a tremendous learning process.
"Just trying your luck gives you an educational capstone experience," Casciato said. "With what you have done and how it will benefit you in the future, it is extremely valuable."
Students shared Casciato's feelings about the process.
"I learned a lot about myself," Schwab said. "After this, I know I definitely want to study in the United Kingdom whether I win or not."
"It was an amazing process, and [Shipman and Casciato] were very positive and very encouraging," said College senior Rachel Wilson, who applied for the Rhodes Scholarship.
Applying for these scholarships "is just one of those things where you have nothing to lose, so just go for it, and it's an amazing opportunity if you do win," Wilson said.
Casciato attributes the increase in applications to several years of intense recruiting.
"The problem a few years ago was that not enough people were applying, so we had a complete change in approach," Casciato said. "We were doing door-to-door recruitment to get students interested."
These efforts on the part of CURF have had visible results.
"Success breeds success, but it also breeds more and more candidates," Casciato said.
