4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW • 5th Floor Butler Pavilion • Washington, DC 20016 • 202.885.1804 • www.american.edu/careercenter

Office of Merit Awards Talent Search Form

Each year the Office of Merit Awards “misses” potentially strong candidates for nationally competitive, merit-based awards, either because students don't come forward for consideration, or because they are unsure of how best to document their accomplishments as students, leaders, and/or activists. By completing this form, you will help us to understand your accomplishments and to recommend awards for which you may be a strong candidate.

Who should fill out this form?

	Academically outstanding third- and fourth-year undergraduates and alumni interested in general feedback on national scholarship options
	Second-year undergraduates in the Early Identification Program (EIP)
	Students competing for the following awards, which require a university nomination:

Each of these scholarships has its own preliminary deadline and application procedures. New deadlines for AY 2007 will be posted on the Career Center Website by Aug. 15, 2006.
	Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship
	Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
	Marshall Scholarship
	George J. Mitchell Scholarship
	Rhodes Scholarship
	Harry S. Truman Scholarship
	Morris K. Udall Scholarship

Please note that there are four sections to this application. Your application will only be submitted after you complete all four sections: Section 1: Contact Information, Academic Information, Languages Section 2: Experiences (Employment, Internship, Involvement On-Campus/Off-Campus, Volunteer, Overseas) Section 3: Research Projects Section 4: References

Advice for completing this form:
Do not feel badly if you have to leave some areas of the form blank. No candidate will have a strong profile in each of the areas below. Some scholarships want applicants with strong academic records and foreign language training; others want students with a history of leadership activities or community service work. We have tried to give our student body a range of ways in which to document its achievements.

“Padding” your profile is not helpful. Sustained involvement and progressive leadership in one or two activities can be more impressive to a scholarship committee than less substantial participation in a dozen campus clubs.

Don't forget to list future activities that you have lined up over the next 3-6 months.

Deadlines :

Students competing for university nominations must meet the campus deadline posted on the Office of Merit Awards main Webpage. Once you have submitted your form, let us know by sending an e-mail to meritawards@american.edu . Be sure to name the scholarship for which you are applying in the subject line of your message.

Forms from students seeking general advice will be reviewed once a semester. Deadlines to submit are as follows:

Fall semester: Friday, November 3, 2006
Spring semester: Friday, March 2, 2007

Questions may be referred to meritawards@american.edu.