Scholars show UNC’s quality

In many respects, winning a Rhodes Scholarship is like winning a national championship.

Charles Lovelace, executive director of the Morehead-Cain Scholars Program, used this analogy to illustrate what a Rhodes Scholarship means for UNC.

“Winning a national championship is not going to affect a student’s day-to-day life, but it is a confirmation of the quality, the excellence of the athletic program,” he said.

“So when a student wins a Rhodes or other post-undergraduate fellowship, it simply confirms that what is going on here is very special and an environment of excellence where students can be successful at the highest level.”

The Rhodes Scholarship, founded in 1902, is the world’s oldest international fellowship and covers full tuition, board and living expenses for students to study at Oxford University for two or three years.

November marked the addition of two new Rhodes Scholars to the 43 UNC alumni who have received the scholarship. UNC boasts the second-most Rhodes Scholar recipients among public research universities, falling behind only the University of Virginia.

UNC’s Rhodes Scholars illustrate the University’s caliber and attract prospective students and faculty. And the University has several programs in place to help students complete the challenging application process for the Rhodes and similar distinguished scholarships to help further this reputation.

Stephen Farmer, associate provost and director of undergraduate admissions, said this success benefits UNC admissions and the University’s reputation as a whole.

“Any time the world gets a chance to see how great the students here at Carolina are, recruitment benefits,” he said.

Farmer said students who received Rhodes scholarships have compelling stories, but they are similar to those of other students.

“We have a lot of students here who have done amazing things,” he said. “Having Rhodes wouldn’t do that much for us if we weren’t already a great institution.”

Farmer said prospective students care about the type of students they will study with. A 2008 study of UNC recruitment by The Arts & Sciences Foundation found that one of the most common reasons students cite for applying to UNC is that their peers are highly qualified.

Linda Dykstra, director of UNC Office of Distinguished Scholarships, said her predecessor George Lensing provided eligible students with important support.

Lovelace also said Lensing has contributed to the selection of nine UNC Rhodes Scholars since 2003 because of the personal attention he paid to these students.

“It’s the support of that office, the coaching, the mentoring that really has made a difference for the school for success in this arena,” he said. “He spends hours with them talking about their personal statements, helping them review them and helping them clarify them.”

In addition to dozens of drafts of the personal statement, applicants must have eight letters of recommendation and usually practice interviewing extensively.

Twenty-seven of the last 30 UNC Rhodes Scholarship recipients have been Morehead-Cain scholars. While the foundation plays a part in recruiting high-achieving students to UNC and provides them with financial support and travel and internship opportunities, Lovelace credits the whole community for these students’ successes.

“The University, and the University faculty in particular, are due the credit for engaging these students in a way that excites them and motivates them to do exceptional work,” he said.



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.