USA All-Academic Scholarship

USA Today recognizes students who representatives outstanding undergraduates in the country. Students are recognized not only for academic achievement, honors and leadership, but also for how they apply their intellectual skills outside the classroom and how that may benefit society. The program is modeled after an all-star sports team, and judges try to build a team of students who are universally outstanding and who excel in different ways. Former First Team members have excelled in the sciences, the humanities, the arts, in public service journalism and education.

Nomination by Hamilton College required. Hamilton may nominate an unlimited number of candidates for this award.

ELIGIBILITY

• US citizenship is not required.
• must be a full time undergraduate of at least sophomore standing or one who anticipates earning an undergraduate degree at the end of the current semester is eligible
• Those who have been named to the All-USA College Academic Second or Third Teams are eligible to be nominated again, however, those named to the First Team are not eligible.

SELECTION

The USA Today selection committee seeks students who excel not only in scholarship but also in leadership roles on and off campus. A key element given most weight by the judges is the student essay describing his/her most outstanding original academic or intellectual product. The judges will be influenced by the student's ability to describe that outstanding endeavor in their own words. They will rely solely on the student's ability to describe the effort in writing, supplemented by recommendations from the nominating professor and two other persons of the nominee's choice. Winners are selected by a panel of educators chosen in cooperation with USA Today sponsor.

AWARDS

Sixty students will be named to the First, Second and Third Teams of the 2007 All-USA Academic Team. The 20 members of the First Team will have their photographs published and accomplishments noted in a two-page color spread in the USA Today in February and receive a $2,500 cash award. Forty more students will be named to the Second and Third Teams.

DEADLINE

Nomination forms must be postmarked and sent to USA Today in Late November. Awards will be announced in February. 

Visit the USA Today All-USA College Academic Team website for more information.