Your Four-Year Plan

Page Content

Your 4-Year Plan to Nationally Competitive Scholarships and Awards

Nationally Competitive Programs and Awards are prestigious scholarships and fellowships which allow you to gain lifetime recognitions, professional and educational connections, and incredible experiences including international travel, language training, and funding for research, graduate school, and internships.

Even if you have never considered competing for national awards, you can start cultivating experiences as a freshmen that can improve your candidacy throughout your academic career. Since competing nationally takes time and effort, it is important to be strategic, and this year-by-year guide will help ensure you are competitive at the highest levels.

Chapter 1: FRESHMAN YEAR

Identify, Develop & Validate Your Talent

Think about some of the goals you have for yourself. Are you interested in conducting research? Influencing policy? Bridging cultures? Leading organizations? Advocating for equity?

Keep track of everything that will help you tell your story, and start compiling a professional resume based on your college experiences.

Build strong relationships with 1-2 professors.

Maintain a GPA of at least 3.7.

Extend your reading and learning beyond the classroom.

Look for ways to get involved and explore leadership opportunities in your field.

Plan ahead to find out which scholarships strike your curiosity, and devise a timeline to stay on track.

Make an appointment with NCPA USM to learn more.

Some notable nationally competitive awards to consider during your freshman year: Fulbright UK Summer Institutes, The Washington Center Internships, National Security Agency (NSA) Stokes Scholarships, Critical Language Scholarships, Boren Awards, Gilman Scholarships, Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad grants.

Learn about the Truman and Goldwater Scholarships for next year.

Chapter 2: SOPHOMORE YEAR

Separate from the Pack & Start Gaining Recognition

Expand leadership roles in class, organizations, research labs, and extracurricular activities.

Focus on building extracurricular memberships into invested time or leadership commitments.

Align yourself with 1-2 research-active mentors.

Take challenging classes.

Present coursework, preliminary research findings, and proposals at campus-wide events.

Start writing out your professional goals.

Use your summers for REUs, internships, additional lab work, or classes that will provide you with additional experiences and insights.

Consider applying to the Honors Keystone Program for your junior year.

Make an appointment with NCPA USM to learn more.

Some notable nationally competitive awards to consider during your sophomore year: Fulbright UK Summer Institutes, Goldwater Scholarship, Gilman Scholarship, The Washington Center Internships, National Security Agency (NSA) Stokes Scholarships, Critical Language Scholarships, Boren Awards, Mt. Vernon Leadership Fellows, Voyager Scholarship, Udall Scholarship, Humanities in Action Fellowship.

Chapter 3: JUNIOR YEAR

Anchor Your Narrative

Work on leadership that shows a record of accomplishment in 1-2 areas that highlight your competitive award interests (e.g., policy, STEM research, computational science, public health, community, leadership, ambassadorship, etc.).

Start thinking about how to use your professional materials to tell targeted stories.

Make progress towards disseminating your research or creative works at the local, regional, and national level through conference presentations, performances, and/or publication.

Seek experiences and mentoring that are impactful, productive, and sustainable.

Make an appointment with NCPA USM to learn more.

Some notable nationally competitive awards to consider during your junior year: Fulbright Student Program, Truman Scholarship, Goldwater Scholarship, Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Fellowship, Udall Scholarship, DAAD Rise Internships, Phi Kappa Phi Literacy grants, Humanities in Action Fellowship.

Chapter 4: SENIOR YEAR

Make Your Story Soar

Finalize your capstone project, portfolio, or thesis.

Know your goals (both academically and professionally).

Make sure your professional resume, although always a work in progress, is polished, cohesive, and as streamlined as possible.

Seek letters of recommendation based on the rapport you have built with your mentors.

Present, initiate, publish, innovate, lead.

Make an appointment with NCPA USM to learn more.

Some notable nationally competitive awards to consider during your senior year: National Science Foundation’s GFRP, Fulbright Student Program, Marshall Scholarship, Rhodes Scholarship, Knight Hennessy Scholarship, Churchill Scholarship, DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship, Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, Schwarzman Scholarship, Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship, Hertz, Hertog, Luce Scholarship, James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program, James Madison Fellowship.