Paper Super Scholars…the Best of the Best

The excitement of attending college is a feeling that resonates amongst every wide-eyed hopeful senior as acceptance letters come rolling in. Acceptance to prestigious universities and humble small colleges alike instills a sense of accomplishment and pride in high school students all over the country. Imaginations run wild with possibilities of where a college career can lead.

Unfortunately, the price tag that accompanies all of these possibilities can be incredibly intimidating and discouraging, especially for out-of-state students, as the cost of attending established Universities, such as NC State, is exponentially high, thus ending the possibility of enrolling. Fortunately, the College of Natural Resources Paper Science and Engineering program spotted this deterrent to potential out-of-state students, and took action by creating the Super Scholars Program.

Let the Process Begin

The Super Scholars Program is a means to alleviate some of the financial stresses for a select few out-of-state students, with the hopes of capturing talent for the Pulp and Paper division at NC State. It is a highly competitive process that takes applications from numerous, well-qualified candidates, with the goal of awarding one of these exceptional well-rounded students a full-ride scholarship for their time at NC State. There are two parts to the application process, there is the initial common application, and then, there is the finalist weekend where approximately 20 of the most likely candidates, from out-of-state, are invited to campus and interview with a student panel, and alumni panel, to narrow down the candidates.

However, that is not to say that other students will not share in some of the financial prosperity. The Pulp and Paper foundation awards other finalists with substantial scholarships as well. The weekend is not all work as the prospective students are introduced to current students, toured through our campus, shown the wolfpack paper machine, and exposed to the pulp and paper labs.

And the Winner is…

The final decision is based upon a complete review of the candidates and a decision based upon who is the best fit for the program. This year’s decision as in past years, proved to be quite difficult, considering the utterly diverse and amazing group of students that competed for scholarships.