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Academic Competitions

Welcome to the Prestigious Competitions and Awards Advising!


Academic competitions, awards, or scholarships, allow a student to take their knowledge and experience and apply it to help fund their education. Academic competitions are generally reserved for high academic performers on campus, and the preparation process is quite extensive. While this is not always the case, students who win these awards, generally:

  • Are hard-working, creative students with high grades (usually obtaining a GPA of 3.7 or higher, with exceptions);
  • Have interests in campus or community activities and career fields or academic disciplines that naturally align with the aims of the scholarships program; or
  • Begin work to position themselves competitively very early in their college career.

Plan to have an educational or service experience abroad as part of your college education. All of these competitions demand years of dedication to making the most of your college experience. Successful competitors are students who wish to develop their intellect, social awareness and communication skills to their fullest potential.

Deadlines: View the website of the program that interests you, and meet with James at least one year in advance of your intended application date, or as early as possible.

Students who would like to compete for these awards now or in the future, please send an email to learning@ucmerced.edu.


List of Scholarships

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship
Rhodes Scholarship
Marshall Scholarship
Goldwater Scholarship
Truman Scholarship
Strauss Scholarship
Udall Scholarship
Mitchell Scholarship
Public Policy Leadership Conference at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
UC LEADS
Public Policy and International Affairs Summer Institute at Princeton
Institute for Responsible Citizenship
Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Summer Institute for Emerging Minority Leaders

View Full List »


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