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1. Application requirements that should be accomplished during the freshman and sophomore years (and junior and senior years) to be a viable candidate.
   1. GPA--Maintain a high GPA (3.75+).
   2. Join as many honor societies/honoraries as you can and seek leadership positions within the honor societies.
   3. Get involved in campus activities (e.g., Honors Congress, SGA, UPC). (Note: The friends you make within these activities can help you get invited to other more selective organizations and honor societies such as Squires, Cardinal Key, Mortar Board, and Spades.)
   4. Participate in as many community service or church-related activities as you can work into your schedule.
   5. (For Rhodes applicants) Participate in intramural or varsity athletics.
2. Application requirements that should be accomplished prior to beginning your senior year.
   1. Career interest--Set goals, priorities, and milestones for yourself. Begin to develop a life plan and work toward fulfilling that plan.
   2. Academic interest--Determine what subjects within your major interest you and think about possible areas for graduate research. (Note: graduate research is not a requirement for some of these awards. You may read for a bachelor’s degree with a Marshall or Rhodes scholarship. Applications are regarded more favorably if the applicant can identify an academic interest and describe why this field of study excites him or her.)
   3. Destination--Determine the university, department, and professor you wish to study under and be able to justify why this is the right place for you. (Note: You may find it useful to correspond in writing with professors/universities that offer programs that interest you. As a result, you can justify your selection of a university and academic program in your application.)
   4. (For Fulbright applicants) Fulfill the foreign language requirements for the country you select as a destination.
3. Application requirements to complete by the October deadline at the beginning of your senior year.
   1. Read the application requirements carefully and follow them exactly.
   2. Select your references and provide them with the necessary materials. (Note: if required, the Director will help you get references from the University president and deans.)
   3. Meet the deadline with time to spare.
4. Ways to improve your chances of receiving a prestigious scholarship by developing your interview skills.
   1. Develop oral communication/articulation skills.
      1. Consider joining the local Toastmasters organization.
      2. Take a speech communications course such as COMM 0340.
      3. Read avidly to improve your vocabulary.
      4. Participate in current events discussions/debates.
   2. Cultivate your knowledge of current world affairs as well as your knowledge of federal, state, and local affairs.
      1. Read a daily national newspaper (New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal --available in RBD Library 1st floor and, except for WSJ, for free online).
      2. Participate in scheduled current events discussions/debates.
      3. Take HIST 0306 ("Contemporary History") during your junior year.