Congratulations to the 2008 University Scholars! See who they are . . . The 2009 University Scholar letter of intent and application deadlines will be in fall 2008. University Scholar Information Meeting - For interested in applying as juniors in Fall 2008. April 17, 2008 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. ITE C80

NEW INFORMATION AND APPLICATION MATERIALS WILL BE AVAILABLE BY JULY 15, 2008.

July 16, 2007

Dear high-achieving UConn students,

Thank you for your interest in the University Scholar Program, one of the most prestigious and distinguished programs for undergraduates at the University of Connecticut. Graduation as a university scholar is one of the highest academic honors the University bestows on undergraduate students. No more than thirty University Scholars are selected each year.

This highly-selective program offers motivated and academically-talented students the flexibility to craft individualized plans of study during their last three semesters. With guidance from a faculty advisory committee, University Scholars select courses to carry out their own programs, enabling them to focus on topics, issues, or concerns of particular relevance to their intellectual interests. A University Scholar Plan of Study may be interdisciplinary, or it may be a more in-depth and intensive investigation in a particular field than is afforded in the regular program of study for the major. The Plan may include graduate courses and independent studies. All University Scholars engage in intensive, focused research or project work, culminating in a high-level piece of scholarship or creative accomplishment.
University Scholar status gives undergraduates a number of privileges that may include: access to courses outside the student's official school or college, access to graduate-level courses, freedom from maximum-credit restrictions during a semester, and in some cases, substitutions for ordinary departmental and school or college requirements for an undergraduate degree. University Scholars usually are eligible for monetary awards during the regular academic year and sometimes during summer session.

Preparing Your Application
To apply for the University Scholar Program you must submit application materials and a project proposal. Please browse through this University Scholars website to read more about the program. Instructions for applying, links to necessary forms, and model proposals are all available on this webpage. Additional model proposals are available for you to read in the Honors Program office (CUE, Rm. 419).

In reviewing applications for this Program, the Selection Committee looks for innovative projects and scholastically-sound course selection. Whether you wish to study across disciplines or delve more deeply into the field in which you are now working, remember that you will be proposing a program of research and study that encourages you to explore your intellectual limits. When explaining your project, be creative, ambitious, and specific. Tailor your project and plan of study to your specific interests.

Faculty members are valuable resources as you explore the possibilities of a unique, intellectually-rigorous project. Honors Advisors and other faculty members with whom you have worked can help you develop and articulate a creative, academically-meritorious proposal. A complete list of Honors Advisors by department can be found at www.honors.uconn.edu/advdata.html.

Completed applications are due in the Honors Program office by November 9, 2007.  The Selection Committee will notify applicants of its decisions by mid- to late-December 2007.

If you have any questions about the University Scholar Program and would like to speak with someone in the Honors Program office, feel free to contact me (Lynne.Goodstein@uconn.edu) or Associate Director Patricia Szarek (Patricia.Szarek@uconn.edu).  

I hope you will seriously consider applying for this prestigious and exciting academic experience. Best wishes for many future successes.

Sincerely,

Lynne Goodstein
Associate Vice Provost and
Director of the Honors Program