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Academic Excellence Rewarded: AUB's Merit Scholarships
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| New batch of outstanding students receive full tuition scholarships |
A top academic record-good school scores and ranking, plus top SAT scores
can win a full three- or four-year tuition free scholarship at AUB. The
University has long been committed to providing scholarships to as many
students as possible. Students may apply for various financial aid packages,
but in addition, for the past nine years, ten outstanding students have
been awarded full tuition Merit Scholarships based on academic achievement
alone.
These scholarships are granted to four entering freshmen and six entering
sophomores selected on the basis of academic achievement as determined
by their composite scores (SAT I and school grades) and their class ranking
in their schools. These students are exempted from tuition fees until
graduation, provided they maintain a grade point average of 85 percent.
Selecting students on merit alone means that some students, capable of
paying for their AUB education, will be spared tuition fees. Some might
question the granting of full-tuition scholarships to the son or daughter
of a millionaire. Provost Heath explained: "We want wealthy students
as part of our mix. . . I think that financial aid is an important part
of how we fulfill our mission-attracting a diverse student body. One of
the best things about AUB is that to the best of its ability it is trying
to attract as broad a range of students as possible." AUB wants a
student body which reflects society as a whole-the rich, the poor, the
high and average achievers, Lebanese and foreigners, different ethnic
and religious groups.
Merit Scholarships can and do attract students to AUB. The availability
of such scholarships sometimes promotes high achievement, and the local
schools are understandably proud of their Merit Scholarship recipients.
One year three Jamhour students won Merit Scholarships. Winners have described
the attraction. One student who had lived abroad all his life confessed
to an arrangement to enter Yale University, but when offered the Merit
Scholarship, he embraced "the only opportunity to allow [himself]
a real 'rooting' in Lebanon." He feels "indebted to AUB for
. . . the opportunity not to lose sight" of his country. Several
other students were grateful to the University for enabling them to remain
close to families and friends. Another said she would have had to give
up her AUB admission, had she not received the scholarship.
The program began in 1999 with a Board of Deans suggestion that AUB actively
seek to attract academically qualified students from both Lebanon and
abroad. Since its inception, some 90 Merit Scholarships have been awarded.
According to Provost Heath, program analysis shows it is working well
as confirmed by the close correlation between the choosing criteria and
performance at the University. So far no student has dropped out because
of inability to achieve the 85 average. Merit Scholars regularly have
entrance grades higher than the required SAT verbal and math scores. Those
at the freshman level are regularly over 1300; the sophomores over 1400.
"To get a score of 1400 when English is not your native language
is impressive," Heath said.
The 85 average is easy for most Merit Scholars, although some French educated
students said they had to adjust to the American system. One was grateful
that the 85 requirement was "high enough to be of good academic standing,
but not too stringent, [thus allowing] students who wanted to venture
into uncomfortable or unknown territory a chance to do so without fear
of losing their scholarships because of low grades."
Merit Scholars generally like AUB. They describe the "excellent academic level," the "flexibility of courses and schedules," the "cultural and religious diversity," the "richness of student life," and the beautiful campus. With a large number studying engineering, many also sample minors and electives. One psychology major is doing two minors (cognitive science and philosophy) and considered a third in either history or English literature. But she decided to use her remaining electives "to take a variety of courses in different disciplines, rather than use all [her] remaining electives in either history or literature..
Enthusiastic about AUB, these talented students are nevertheless realists. One noted "a tangible disconnect between the intellectual stimulation offered in classes, and the general atmosphere on campus," related, she says, to what one studies. "I know people who are under-stimulated because of their majors." Another Merit Scholar praised Professor Samir Khalaf's passion for teaching and "infectious" scholarship: ("He always made students feel more like colleagues engaged in scholarship with him rather than students receiving knowledge from him,"), but said this was "a quality AUB would be hard pressed to find in most of its academic staff."
Students give the Merit Scholarships high marks for changing their lives by enabling them to attend AUB and by challenging them to perform at a high level academically. Several noted a boost to self-confidence: "The Merit Scholarship increased my confidence in my capabilities and motivated me to use these capabilities fully in order to maintain a certain level of excellence in many areas, not necessarily related to the academic work."
After AUB, many Merit Scholars are bound for master's and PhD programs abroad. Some are already in the work place, one a strategic management consultant for a multinational firm based in Beirut. One freshman scholar's response to a question about post graduation reflects the ongoing paralysis of the country: "After graduation I intend to get the hell out of the country." Another was more optimistic: "After graduation," he wrote, "I intend to complete my pursuit of knowledge and education and hopefully help, one day, in making our world a better place."