To be named a Top Scholar includes benefits that extend far beyond a generous scholarship. Our Scholars are also part of an elite student community supported by faculty, staff, civic and business leaders, alumni and donors.
It is our hope that Top Scholars will reach their full potential as academic achievers, leaders and ambassadors during their undergraduate tenure and beyond. Therefore, Scholars receive abundant personal attention to ensure they are most prepared for entering the job market or applying for graduate or professional school. So, who are Top Scholars?
Our Scholars have diverse intellectual pursuits and the University of South Carolina is prepared to support those many interests. Mentored by premier faculty, Scholars are at the forefront of undergraduate research in their respective academic fields.
It is not uncommon to find a Top Scholar working in the UofSC Neurolinguistics Laboratory, exploring sustainable energy initiatives with ExxonMobil, or interning with The Washington Post.
Even more, Scholars have access to specialized programming through National Fellowships and Scholar Programs. As a result, Top Scholars lead the way at South Carolina as national fellowship recipients.
They have and continue to earn the impressive titles of Marshall, Udall, Truman, Fulbright, NOAA Hollings and Goldwater Scholars, among many others.
Touched by the needs of communities abroad, our Scholars have found themselves immersed in many cultural and physical landscapes.
Their curiosity has led them to visit Chile, Turkey, Spain and Italy. They've experienced the sunrise in Uganda, England and Australia. And they've practiced language skills in Argentina, China, France, Japan and Germany. Scholars have access to study abroad programs through the university and the South Carolina Honors College.
Their extraordinary commitment to leadership and service sets an honorable standard for their peers. Our Scholars are University Ambassadors, club presidents, humanitarians, start-up musicians, intramural sports champions and Euphradian Society masters of rhetoric.
Many dedicate countless hours outside the classroom to soup kitchens, medical clinics and encouraging young interest in the sciences through programs like Carolina Science Outreach.
Our Scholars receive automatic admission to the South Carolina Honors College. As a result, Scholars have access to the many academic and extracurricular enrichment opportunities provided by the nation's top-ranked public honors college.
This includes personalized advisement, where Scholars meet individually with an Honors advisor to help them navigate their varied interests and find an undergraduate niche.
As an important part of the Carolina family, our Scholars are also athletes, members of the marching band, campus radio personalities and columnists for The Daily Gamecock.
You may find Scholars studying on the Horseshoe, organizing a concert for Carolina Productions, participating in Dance Marathon or simply enjoying Chicken Finger Wednesday. With so many opportunities on a vibrant campus, Top Scholars know that every day is a great day to be Gamecocks!