Research Opportunities
Ralph Becker
The Importance of High School Research

Many applicants to the most selective university programs share high grades, high test scores, solid recommendations and generous doses of community service and volunteer activities. Yet, if they want to set themselves apart from the pool of exceptional students, a significant research experience in STEM or the social sciences helps.

The Importance of High School Research

West Point

The ROTC (Reserved Officers Training Corps) Scholarship

The ROTC (Reserved Officers Training Corps) Scholarship

With tuition costs rising beyond the $40,000 a year level at such places as USC, many college-bound students are ardently searching for scholarships, grants, and work study programs. Some are avoiding the escalating costs altogether by gaining admission to the service academies (West Point, Annapolis, Air Force), where tuition, room and board, and medical are covered. More on gaining admissions to the service academies can be found at: /imported-20110121194859/2008/9/2/attending-us-service-academies.html. The service academies, however, are not for everyone, particularly if you’re not engineering or mathematically inclined. Another alternative is to apply for a ROTC scholarship, which can be used at a range of schools nationwide, and, in conjunction with many different majors (including a number of liberal arts majors).

Attending US Service Academies

Attending US Service Academies

A growing number of students are applying to the US service academies, particularly the Military Academy (www.usma.edu) (West Point), the Naval Academy (Annapolis) (www.usna.edu), and the Air Force Academy (www.usafa.edu). As the cost of private and public schools escalates, expect this to be an ever increasing trend; consequently, now is a good time, before the 2009 application process gets underway, to gain a better understanding of these schools, and a better sense of what's involved in gaining admissions to them.